Rebel
by KatieK101
Summary: AU. Icecloud is the only daughter of Dustpelt and Ferncloud. That being said, Dustpelt is very protective of her. But when her overprotective father publicly humiliates her, she snaps. Icecloud meets a ShadowClan tom at a gathering and flirting seems like the perfect way to get back at her father. But what starts as a simple rebellion, may soon turn into something more. *Hiatus*
1. Prologue

**Come one, come all to KatieK101's new story that she should NOT be starting!**

**However, in her (my) defense, at least it's not some random out-of-the-blue story. As some of you may know, "Rebel" is a story that I was co-writing with the amazing ScipioPB. Everything was going great until we both lost interest in the Icecloud and Smokefoot, and we stopped posting. A couple days ago I PMed Scipio and asked if she wanted to continue the story, and if not, would she let me adopt it back. After thinking it over Scipio decided she was done with Rebel, and that I could have it back. **

**So here we are! For you Icy fans (my nickname for Scipio; not Icecloud) fear not! Scipio is now my number one consultant whenever Rebel is concerned. **

**This chapter takes place between "Sunrise" and "The Forth Apprentice".**

**And now... we begin! **

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**Disclaimer - I, KatieK101, do not own Icy or "Warriors". If I did then Icecloud would not have died in BStorm.**

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**"Dear dad, I get good grades, I am a virgin, and I don't smoke weed. Stop treating me like I'm some rebel, or I will turn into one." - Unknown**

"From this moment on, you will be known as Icecloud!"

"Icecloud! Foxleap! Icecloud! Foxleap!" the clan roared.

To her left Foxleap puffed out his chest, shamelessly soaking up his clan mates praise. Icecloud purred and nudged him, before ducking her head. She had always been more humble then her brother, if only slightly.

Icecloud could see their parents, Dustpelt and Ferncloud, cheering amongst the throng of ThunderClan cats strung about the clearing. They looked even prouder then Foxleap was, if that was possible, and when Icecloud made eye contact with them their chants grew louder.

Suddenly Foxleap nudged her side sharply, and when she turned around and gave him a questioning look he gestured to their cousin, Toadpaw. The bulky black and white tom was yowling their names along with their clan mates, but he seemed to be watching Icecloud especially. The pretty white she-cat smiled briefly and when the cheering died down, she stood to her paws and padded in the tom's direction. She dodged her clan mates who were ever so eager to congratulate her, smiling and nodding her acknowledgement.

She finally found Toadpaw sitting by the apprentice den, and squeezed past the last cat before sitting down in front of him.

"Congratulations,_ Icecloud_," Toadpaw said, a grin sown across his lips. "Firestar gave you such a cool warrior name!"

"Thanks Toadpaw," Icecloud purred. Toadpaw tended to be a little arrogant at times, so Icecloud took that as high praise. Amusement danced in her sky blue orbs as she added, "It's not as cool as Icestorm would have been, but I guess it is pretty great."

"I'm going to miss you in the apprentice den," Toadpaw admitted. The statement surprised Icecloud, until Toadpaw went on, a little more haughty. "Now that Graystripe's kits became apprentices a couple days ago, all Rosepaw wants to do is talk to Bumblepaw. And Blossompaw is so bossy! Briarpaw's the only one I can actually tolerate." Icecloud rolled her bright blue eyes, but it was in a playful manner.

"Oh, however will you survive?" She mocked lightly. When Toadpaw managed to look unimpressed Icecloud laughed and said, "Well, maybe Dovekit and Ivykit will be better. And besides, you'll be a warrior too soon enough!" Toadpaw opened his mouth to respond but the sound of paw steps cut him off, and Icecloud whipped her head around just in time to see Dustpelt badding briskly over to her side.

"Hello, daughter of mine," Dustpelt greeted, slipping in-between Toadpaw and Icecloud. "Let's walk this way." He laid his tail across Icecloud's back and led her off to the warriors' den.

The blue-eyed she-cat had to stiffen the pang of irritation she felt when Dustpelt intrupted her conversation, but called behind her, "Bye Toadpaw!" The apprentice echoed her.

Icecloud turned back toward her father and fixed him with a hard look. "What was _that_ for?"

"I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming a warrior!" Dustpelt defended himself, not bothering to even glance at his daughter until they reached the warriors den. "Don't I have that right as your father?"

"Couldn't you have just waited until I was done talking to Toadpaw?" Icecloud reasoned. She usually didn't question her father, or any cat with a higher statues then herself really, but she **hated** it when Dustpelt pulled this kind of stuff. Especially when she knew the real reason behind it.

"I don't know why your pressing the subject, Icecloud." Dustpelt meowed. There was an edge to his voice that warned her to leave the topic alone, but Icecloud ignored it.

The pretty white she-cat stepped away from her angrily. "You just don't want me to talk to him because he's a tom, don't you?"

Something flashed in his amber eyes for a moment, but it was gone as fast as it came. "No, of course not!"

Icecloud just scoffed and spun around before sprinting off into the forest. Sometimes all she could do was run.

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"He doesn't treat any any of his _sons_ this way." Icecloud muttered, kicking a pebble into the lake. "Besides, Toadpaw is my_ cousin_ for crying out loud!" Of course Rosepaw used to worship the very ground Foxleap walked on, so perhaps the idea of them becoming mate's wasn't so redicilous. Icecloud sighed and laid down in the wet sand surrounding the lake, and wrinkled her nose when it sloshed around her snowy-white fur. "I don't know how RiverClan deals with sand." She grumbled to herself.

"And I'm willing to bet they don't know how we deal with trees." A voice meowed from behind her. Icecloud glanced back and smiled briefly when she spotted Foxleap's russet-colored pelt. "What're you doing over here, Icecloud?" Foxleap asked as he padded down the shoreline and over to his sister.

"Oh, just thinking," she replied, turning herself back around. Icecloud figured her brother knew exactly why she wasn't in camp, but she hoped he would take the hint and decide the leave the subject alone.

But alas, Icecloud had no such luck. "About?" Foxleap drawled.

"Oh, you know. Stuff."

The siblings were silent until Foxleap continued. "You know, I saw how Dustpelt was treating you around Toadpaw; I saw the look he was giving you when you went over to him."

Despite the fact that Icecloud knew their conversation would lead to this, she still couldn't help but visibly wince. "You did?"

The russet-colored tom nodded. "Everyone knows how protective he can be, with you being his only daughter and all."

"Overprotective, you mean." The blue-eyed she-cat swiped her claws across the surface of the lake making it ripple. "I just don't know why. I've always been good! I've never taken fresh-kill without giving some to the elders first, I've never crossed the border unless it's a Gathering, and I've never done anything irresponsible!" She knew it was a bit of a stretch, but at least she hadn't done anything memorable!

"Well, yeah, but you have to understand that he's just trying to protect you," Foxleap reasoned.

Icecloud whipped her head around toward her brother, looking shell-shocked. "Wait, you mean you actually support him?!"

"Icecloud don't overreact-" Icecloud cut her litter-brother off with a hiss and fled back into the thick forest. She went in a random direction and only stopped when she couldn't run anymore. Standing there, she caught her breath and looked around. She was by the old twoleg path; the dark black surface was faded and cracked and plants had grown up through the missing patches. The trees around the area had begun to grow greener and the sunlight streaked down from the treetops, shining on her fluffy coat and warming her up, making her feel a bit better.

Icecloud knew Dustpelt was just protecting her, but she** did** have a point. She couldn't help but wonder if he would be as protective of her if Hollykit and Larchkit had survived, but chased the thought away. Hollykit and Larchkit had always been a depressing subject for her. Sighing softly, the snowy-white she-cat shook her pelt out and plastered a friendly smile across his features as she made back to camp. Maybe Foxleap had a point as well. Maybe Icecloud _was_ overreacting, if only slightly. After all it wasn't like Dustpelt thought he could keep her away from toms forever... right?

_It's probably just a faze. I'm sure he'll get over it soon._

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**Annnnnd... there we go! Rebel is back in town!**

**Next Chapter**

**(Takes place after "The Last Hope") Icecloud thinks about how overprotective Dustpelt has grown since the Dark Forest battle, and doesn't think he can get any worse. But when Dustpelt publicly embarrasses her in front of the clan, Icecloud darts out of camp and meets a ShadowClan patrol; cue Smokefoot. **

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**Question of the Day**

**Did you read "Rebel" when it was being co-written between ScipioPB and I? **


	2. Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

Leader: Bramblestar - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes **(Apprentice: Jayfeather)**

Warriors: Graystripe - long-haired gray tom

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail - long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom **(Apprentice: Seedpaw)**

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom

Berrynose - cream-colored tom

Hazeltail - small gray-and-white she-cat **(Apprentice: Lilypaw)**

Mousewhisker - gray-and-white tom

Cinderheart - gray tabby she-cat

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom

Foxleap - reddish tabby tom **(Apprentice: Cherrypaw)**

Icecloud - striking white she-cat

Toadstep- black-and-white tom

Rosepetal - dark cream she-cat **(Apprentice: Molepaw) **

Bumblestripe - very pale gray tom with black stripes

Briarlight - dark brown she-cat

Blossomfall - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Ivypool - gray and silver she-cat

Dovewing - fluffy pale gray she-cat

Apprentices: Jayfeather – silver tabby tom; blind

Molepaw - large brown and cream tom

Cherrypaw - small, fluffy ginger she-cat

Seedpaw - golden brown she-cat

Lilypaw - small, dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Queens: Ferncloud - pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes

Daisy - cream long-furred she-cat from the horseplace

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches (mother to Snowkit, a white tom, Dewkit, a gray and white tom, and Amberkit, a pale ginger she-kit)

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes, expecting Birchfall's kits

Elders: Purdy - plump tabby tom with a gray muzzle, former loner

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Rowanstar - ginger tom

Deputy: Toadfoot – dark brown tom

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud - very small tabby tom **(Apprentice: Stoatfur)**

Warriors: Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Ratscar - brown tom with a long scar across his back **(Apprentice: Blizzardpaw)**

Olivenose - tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw - light brown tabby tom

Smokefoot - black tom with a lighter gray chest **(Apprentice: Grasspaw)**

Crowfrost – black and white tom

Scorchfur - dark gray tom **(Apprentice: Spikepaw)**

Snowbird – pure white she-cat

Tigerheart - dark brown tabby tom **(Apprentice: Flowerpaw)**

Dawnpelt – pretty cream-furred she-cat

Pinenose – sleek black she-cat

Ferretclaw - cream and gray tom

Apprentices: Stoatfur – brown and gray tom

Blizzardpaw - Fluffy white and gray she-cat

Grasspaw - Pale brown she-cat

Spikepaw - Dark brown tom

Flowerpaw - Dark brown tabby she-cat

Queens: Applefur - mottled brown she-cat (expecting Ratscar's kits)

Elders: Kinkfur - tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Ivytail - black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

**WindClan**

Leader: Onestar - brown tabby tom

Deputy: Harespring - brown-and-white tom **(Apprentice: Slightpaw)**

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight - mottled gray tom

Warriors: Whitetail - small white she-cat

Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws

Crowfeather - dark gray tom **(Apprentice: Featherpaw)**

Nightcloud - black she-cat **(Apprentice: Hootpaw)**

Gorsetail - very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Leaftail - dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot - gray tom with two dark paws **(Apprentice: Oatpaw)**

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Breezepelt - black tom with amber eyes

Swallowtail - dark gray she-cat

Furzepelt - gray and white she-cat

Crouchfoot - ginger tom

Larkwing - pale brown tabby she-cat

Apprentices: Hootpaw - dark gray tom

Slightpaw - black tom with a flash of white on his chest

Featherpaw - gray tabby she-cat

Oatpaw - pale brown tom

Queens: Sedgewhisker - light brown tabby she-cat, expecting Emberfoot's kits

**RiverClan**

Leader: Mistystar - gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Reedwhisker - black tom

Medicine Cat: Mothwing - dappled golden she-cat **(Apprentice: Willowshine)**

Warriors: Graymist - pale gray tabby she-cat

Minnowtail - dark gray she-cat **(Apprentice: Peachpaw)**

Pebblefoot - mottled gray tom **(Apprentice: Havenpaw)**

Mallownose - light brown tabby tom

Robinwing - tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Grasspelt - light brown tom

Hollowflight - dark brown tabby tom

Troutstream - pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossyfoot - gray and brown tom **(Apprentice: Lizardpaw)**

Rushtail - light brown she-cat

Shimmerpelt - silver she-cat

Lakeheart - gray tabby she-cat

Heronwing - dark gray and black tom

Apprentices: Willowshine – gray tabby she-cay

Lizardpaw - light brown tom

Peachpaw - gray and white she-cat

Heavenpaw - black and white she-cat

Queens: Petalfur - gray-and-white she-cat, expecting Mallownose's kits

Elders: Mintfur - light gray tabby tom

Icewing - white she-cat with blue eyes

Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Rebel**

**Here's a sneak peak for next chapter, so that this isn't against the rules.**

As Icecloud padded into camp she swayed on her paws, ready to pass out from exhaustion.

Dustpelt, who was undoubtedly trying to get her away from toms, was running her paws off with various jobs to do. He had woke her up for the dawn hunting patrol (which consisted of Ivypool, Cinderheart, and her best friend, Rosepetal), had her personally check on the progress of Jayfeather's growing catmint shoots, and then had her help Cherrypaw and Seedpaw collect moss for the elders. But it didn't end there, oh no. He then had the white warrior check the elders for ticks, bring Brightheart some fresh-kill, and she just returned from a solo hunting patrol because Purdy wanted a squirrel and they were out.

Icecloud flopped down by the warriors' den and quickly scanned the camp for Dustpelt. But much to her delight, Dustpelt was nowhere in sight. "Squirrelflight sent him on a border patrol." A voice meowed from behind Icecloud and she jumped slightly, although she quickly relaxed when she saw it was just Mousewhisker, offering her a friendly smile.


	3. Chapter 1 - Let's Play Keep Away

**Hi KatieKats! I highly suggest reading this AN, or else you'll be incredibly confused.**

**After discussing them with Icy, I've made some major changes in Rebel. First off, unlike the original Rebel, this version is going to take place around two or three moons after The Last Hope. And because I refuse to consider Bramblestar's Storm canon, those who were pronounced dead are still alive (Hazeltail, Foxleap, Applefur, etc...). And not only that, but I've also decided to go against TLH and keep Ferncloud alive. She influences several events later in the story. **

**I think that's all? Yes? Good. Then without further ado, thanks to all the support I got last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one just as much!**

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**Disclaimer - I, KatieK101, do not own Icy or "Warriors". If I did then Icecloud would not have died in BStorm.**

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**"When I first laid eyes on you, some part of my brain acknowledged the fact that there was no turning back." - KatieK101**

As Icecloud padded into camp she swayed on her paws, ready to pass out from exhaustion.

Dustpelt, who was undoubtedly trying to get her away from toms, was running her paws off with various jobs to do. He had woke her up for the dawn hunting patrol (which consisted of Ivypool, Cinderheart, and her best friend, Rosepetal), had her personally check on the progress of Jayfeather's growing catmint shoots, and then had her help Cherrypaw and Seedpaw collect moss for the elders. But it didn't end there, oh no. He then had the white warrior check the elders for ticks, bring Brightheart some fresh-kill, and she just returned from a solo hunting patrol because Purdy wanted a squirrel and they were out.

Icecloud flopped down by the warriors' den and quickly scanned the camp for Dustpelt. But much to her delight, Dustpelt was nowhere in sight. "Squirrelflight sent him on a border patrol." A voice meowed from behind Icecloud and she jumped slightly, although she quickly relaxed when she saw it was just Mousewhisker, offering her a friendly smile.

"Thank StarClan!" Icecloud breathed, immediately letting her guard down. However a frown started tugging at her lips when she realized she never told Mousewhisker who she was looking for. "How did you-"

"Know who you were looking for?" Mousewhisker finished for her. When Icecloud nodded Mousewhisker shrugged. "Call it a hunch; after seeing him send you all over the territory, I figured you weren't looking wildly around for Berrynose, or Briarlight." A playful note had clearly entered Mousewhisker's tone, however Icecloud didn't seem to notice.

Instead she groaned. "Is it that noticeable?"

The gray and white tom shook his head. "No, no, it's just… well, actually, yes, a bit." The blue-eyed warrior groaned, prompting Mousewhisker to chuckle. "Do you care if I…?" He gestured with a flourish of his tail toward the spot next to her. Icecloud immediately shook her head.

"Oh, um, no. Go ahead and lie down." She scooted over, silently cursing herself as her face heated up. Mousewhisker purred as he sat down beside her, and she bit back a purr of her own. Mousewhisker was by no means an ugly cat. While he wasn't as "dreamy" as Berrynose, (at least, that's what Poppyfrost claimed) he was actually a pretty handsome tom. And Icecloud wouldn't be lying if I said that I didn't have a _tiny crush_ on him. _A tiny crush I've had ever since I was made into an apprentice, _Icecloud thought privately to herself.

As Icecloud tried to look anywhere else but Mousewhisker's bright, forest-green eyes, she caught Lilypaw's amber gaze. The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat was glaring openly at Mousewhisker and Icecloud, and she looked stiff. _Jealousy. _Icecloud recognized the emotion.

The fluffy white she-cat easily returned a cold glare of her own and didn't move her icy blue eyes until Lilypaw was forced to look away. _That's right, go and find your own-, _Icecloud stopped herself mid-thought. _Go and find your own friend_, she corrected herself. _Mousewhisker's not my mate and probably only thinks of me as a friend_. It was a painful for her to think, but she shoved the thoughts away; she was too tired to think about such a depressing matter.

"Are you alright?" the grey and white tom asked, snapping Icecloud out of her mental conversation. She glanced at the tom and blinked when she noticed a knowing grin had played across his lips. After a second realization dawned on her; he'd seen the glare she'd thrown at Lilypaw. Icecloud resisted the urge to duck her head, and focused on his question.

Her immediate response was that she was fine, but the genuine concern in Mousewhisker's forest-green orbs pulled the truth out of her. "Not really," she admitted. "My paws feel like they're about to fall off, and Dustpelt is being a pain in the tail."

Confusion was splashed across Mousewhisker's features. "Actually, what _is_ Dustpelt's problem?" he inquired. Icecloud sighed and laid her head on her paws.

"The Dark Forest battle really took a toll on him." She started. "He never suspected any of his clan mates of training in the Dark Forest, and when the truth came out, it absolutly shocked him. I don't think anyone picked up on it, but Dustpelt had a really hard time trusting... anyone after that war. He even started to push his family away." Mousewhisker cringed, and realization hit Icecloud like a lightning bolt. _That's right, _she mused. _You trained with them too, didn't you? _Good thing Dustpelt didn't know about that secret crush of hers'. She went on. "He would have pushed everyone away if Ferncloud had died; thank StarClan Brightheart managed to drive Brokenstar away before he could kill her. Anyway, Dustpelt's always had this crazy theory that I shouldn't be allowed to hang out with toms, and I guess the Dark Forest battle was just his final straw. Ever since then he's been running my paws off with jobs to do."

Mousewhisker looked sheepishly at his paws. "So... it's my fault that you're not allowed to be around toms, huh?" He asked, reading between the lines. Despite the embarrassment that came along with admitting she had an overprotective father, Icecloud found smiling briefly.

"I never thought about it, I guess so." She gently cuffed Mousewhisker over the ear, and purred. "Well, it's only half your fault. I suspect it also has something to do with the fact that Whitewing and Birchfall are expecting again." _He's probably scared silly that I'm going to be next. _

Icecloud took a moment to sweep her gaze over the camp. Her sky blue orbs come to a rest on Lionblaze and Cinderheart, and Berrynose and Poppyfrost. The pairs were clustered into a circle, sharing tongues, and gossiping about something or other. But despite all sitting together, it was painfully obvious that Lionblaze and Cinderheart were in their own little world, and the same with Berrynose and Poppyfrost. Icecloud felt the beginning of frown start to trace her lips as bitterness started to bloom in her chest.

_It's not fair_._ Brackenfur has no problem with Cinderheart and Poppyfrost having mates, and yet I'm not allowed to be on the same patrol as a tom?_ Scratch that. Icecloud wasn't allowed to be on the same patrol with a tom who wasn't her brother.

Sighing again, she turned her attention back to the grey and white warrior next to her. "I guess it's because I'm his only daughter, and I can understand that, but still... I've never given him any reason not to trust me, yet he acts like I'm going to get pregnant within the next moon!"

Mousewhisker laughed and Icecloud sent him a hard glare. "What was so funny about that?"

The gray and white warrior heaved his shoulders before responding. "Nothing really. It's just… I have the opposite problem." Icecloud blinked her vibrant blue eyes.

"What do you mean?" Mousewhisker rolled his eyes.

"Lately all Daisy talks about is when me and Hazeltail will get mates." Icecloud's eyes flickered briefly toward Hazeltail, who was just padding into camp with a thrush, and thought about how the she-cat had been spending an awful lot of time with Thornclaw, as of late. _Daisy probably doesn't have much to worry about there. _

"Why?" she asked. Mousewhisker just shrugged again.

"Only StarClan knows. I think she wants us to hurry up and have kits." The gray and white tom shuddered. "Kits are cute and all, but I really don't want them crawling all over me, and having to let them bite my tail. I could hardly stand Toadstep and Rosepetal!"

Icecloud wasn't sure why, but she suddenly broke out into a smile, before erupting into a fit of laughter. She found it hard to not smile around Mousewhisker. The green-eyed tom glared at her a bit before breaking into a grin himself.

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Icecloud smiled politely as Mousewhisker continued his story about the time he had to be Jayfeather's assistant for a whole day, because he'd talked back to Spiderleg. In all honestly Icecloud found the story to be kind of boring, but she didn't let it show. She laughed when Mousewhisker paused, and smiled when he laughed. After awhile she found herself leaning closer to the handsome gray and white tom, so close that their pelts brushed. Icecloud's face heated up at the action, but if Mousewhisker minded then he kept it to himself.

"I can't believe you had to help him for a whole day, just for talking back." The snowy white she-cat scoffed when the story ended. "Isn't that a tad extreme?" Mousewhisker shrugged.

"Spiderleg's always been an extreme kind of cat; at least, when it comes to his apprentices. I kind of feel bad for whoever gets apprenticed to him next. Anyway, I guess he knew what he was doing, because after spending a whole day with Jayfeather I don't think I talked back to Spiderleg ever again." Mousewhisker smiled at her. "Whitewing must have been one of the lucky ones; I never saw you get punished for anything. You were like a mentor's dream apprentice."

Icecloud purred, but when Mousewhisker turned his head around to lick down a tuft of fur, she found herself frowning. What Mousewhisker said was true; she had been a very well behaved apprentice. Whitewing almost never had to get onto her. So... why did that sting?

"You know, Icecloud," Mousewhisker started, snapping her out of her thoughts. "This has been a lot of fun. I don't remember you being this great when we were apprentices."

"Probably because I was youngest apprentice in the den." Icecloud suggested, although she smiled warmly. Mousewhisker laughed and agreed. "And for what's it's worth, I've had a lot of fun with you too. Maybe we could... do this more often?" The gray and white tom seemed to light up at her invention and nodded.

"Of course! Maybe we could go hunting together tomorrow?" He leaned forward, and Icecloud didn't lean back. Their pelts brushed again, and Mousewhisker's forest green eyes bore into her own ice blue eyes.

"I would love t-"

"Icecloud!" A voice shrieked, and Icecloud froze when she recognized the speaker: Dustpelt.

The snowy white she-cat leapt to her paws and turned around to face her father. "I-" But Dustpelt cut her off before she had a chance to defend herself.

"Icecloud what in the name of StarClan do you think you're doing?!" Dustpelt demanded, his fur bristling.

"I was just sharing tongues with Mousewhisker," She explained, flustered. She noticed that by now every cat had stopped to watch what was going on.

Mousewhisker stood up beside Icecloud and nodded. "She's telling the truth." Dustpelt shot the younger warrior such a fierce glare that if looks could kill, Mousewhisker would be dead.

"You stay out of this!" The dusty brown tom snarled, before looking back at his daughter. "That didn't look like you were 'just sharing tongues'. Icecloud what do you think you're doing, flirting with this, this traitor!"

A low growl rumbled deep in Icecloud's throat. "I wasn't flirting!" she protested, starting to feel awkward as all of her clan mates eyes were on her. "And Mousewhisker isn't a traitor! He sided with the clans when the time came."

Dustpelt spat on the ground. "But he trained with the Dark Forest! Icecloud, these cats almost murdered your mother!" The snowy white she-cat had long since felt her blood start to boil.

"But that's not the only reason you don't want to me hang out with Mousewhisker, right?" She questioned. "You don't want me to be friends with any toms at all!"

"Icecloud," Mousewhisker warned, but she shook her head.

"No, no I need to ask this. Why don't you want me hanging out with other toms? Why can't I talk to my own clan mates? Why are you so over-protective?!"

Dustpelt's eyes amber widened and he snarled, "Don't you ever speak to me like that again Icecloud! I am your father and you'll do as I say!"

"What's your problem?!" Icecloud was all but shouting. "Why can't you just stay out of my personal life and _leave me alone_?!"

"Because as soon as I do that I know you'll end up in the nursery with that_ traitor's_ kits!" he shouted, and gestured angerly at Mousewhisker. Mousewhisker blinked, looking offended.

"Me?" he asked.

"Yes!" Dustpelt spat. "So I want you to stay away from my daughter, and to never 'share tongues' with her again! She's too inexperienced to make the right decisions, and too naive then to know better than that you're the picture of trouble, and cannot be trusted!" Icecloud was beyond embarrassed at this point, and Lilypaw's chuckling wasn't helping the matter. Icecloud didn't think it could get any worse.

But if that were true, then this would all be too easy.

"Actually, now that I think about it," Dustpelt turned to face the rest of camp, and Icecloud felt dread build up inside of her, "I don't want to see any toms sharing tongues with Icecloud, or flirting with her, or patrolling with her, or anything else! If I find out that you are then I will personally claw your ears off!"

"Dustpelt, **stop**!" Icecloud screamed, and blinked back the embarrassed tears that welled in her eyes. "You're just making a fool out of yourself!"

Dustpelt spun around and looked incredulously at his only daughter. "What did you just say to me?" He demanded.

"I can handle myself!" Icecloud went on. "I can make my own decisions! I'm not naive, and I'm not inexperienced! I've fought against the other clans, I've fought against the Dark Forest, and I've defended ThunderClan with everything in me! Why are you treating me like some mouse-brained kit?!"

"Because you're acting like a mouse-brained kit!" Dustpelt shouted and shoved his muzzle in her face. The blue-eyed she-cat was about to defend herself yet again, but suddenly it seemed like the entire clan was shouting her name, trying to get her attention.

"Icecloud, just give up!" Spiderleg growled. "You're only making things worse for yourself."

"Don't lose your cool now, Icecloud!" Berrynose encouraged, watching the display with eager green eyes.

"Come on Icecloud, just take a deep breath," Brightheart soothed, coming over to her side.

"It's for the best, Icecloud," Foxleap said, flanking her other side. "You need to get a hold of yourself; you're not thinking clearly."

"I-I can't breathe," Icecloud chocked out, suddenly feeling like a caged animal.

"Everyone, give Icecloud some space!" She heard Bramblestar's voice boom throughout the camp but it seemed like she was the only one, for her clan mates kept closing in on her.

"Icecloud get a grip!"

"Are you okay Icecloud?"

"Do you actually like Mousewhisker, Icecloud?"

Finally Icecloud snapped; she couldn't handle it anymore. "Just leave me alone!" Icecloud screeched at the top of her lungs and spun around before bolting out of camp.

"Icecloud, wait!" Birchfall warned and tried blocking her path. But the blue-eyed she-cat only snarled and shoved past her brother, racing away from camp as fast as she could.

* * *

"Hey, hey are you alright?" A voice asked somewhat impolitely. The voice managed to snap Icecloud out of her nap, and the snowy white she-cat jerked awake before looking around, sleepily.

"Huh," Icecloud asked, in a daze. "Where am I-?"

"You're almost on the ShadowClan border," the voice said gruffly, prompting Icecloud look up. Standing in front of her were three large cats, all reeking of ShadowClan's scent. The cat who spoke, a brown tom with an ugly red scar across his back, narrowed his beady hazel eyes. "Leave it up to ThunderClan to fall asleep in the middle of their territory and wake up, not knowing where they are."

Icecloud felt her fur bristle and opened her mouth, a stinging retort on the tip of her tongue, when someone else beat her to it. "The middle of her territory? Ratscar, you just said she was on the ShadowClan border!"

Icecloud blinked when a _ShadowClan cat_ came to her defense but when she saw said cat, she felt like someone had just knocked the air out of her lungs.

The cat was a rather handsome tom, with jet black fur and a slightly lighter chest. He also had a nicked ear, and the deepest, darkest blue eyes Icecloud had ever seen. They reminded her of midnight, and made her own blue eyes looked brighter then they sky in new-leaf. And while Icecloud was never a small cat, standing in front of this tom made her feel like a newborn kit. _Who is he?_

A hiss slipped between Ratscar's lips and he lashed his tail. "Really Smokefoot? Can you not keep your jaws shut for a minute? I would expect more out of my _former apprentice_!"

_Smokefoot_. Icecloud found herself liking the sound of that. She actually liked it a lot. But… where had she heard that name before? Then realization struck her. Smokefoot was the cat that had almost broken Blossomfall's back in the last ShadowClan battle! She had also heard his name at gatherings, and after almost every battle.

_He's a dangerous cat_, Icecloud mused. _But then again… aren't most ShadowClan cats dangerous_?

"Wait, I know you!" The last cat on the patrol, a smaller pale brown tabby she-cat, exclaimed.

"You do?" Icecloud asked, doubt evident in her tone. She certainly didn't recognize the apprentice. But the tabby she-cat nodded eagerly.

"Yes, you're Icecloud!"

Icecloud stared at the she-cat as if she had just sprouted a second head. "How do you-"

"Wait wait wait, _you're_ Icecloud?" Ratscar demanded, his face breaking into a mocking sneer. "_Dustpelt's daughter_? The one he blew up on, telling every tom to stay away from?! Oh, this is perfect!"

Icecloud's mouth had long since dropped open. "How do you know about that?!" She questioned desperately. _It only happened a couple hours ago! There's no way ShadowClan could know about it already! _

"Icecloud, honey," Smokefoot started, smirking handsomely, "I wouldn't be surprised if every cat this side of the lake knew that story by now. One of your apprentices, Molepaw, tried sneaking into our territory earlier and when a patrol escorted him back to your camp a couple of clan gossips told us _everything_. And considering Crowfrost just sent out patrols to WindClan and RiverClan, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they know too."

After that enlightening explanation, the three ShadowClan cats started howling with laughter, while Icecloud could only sit back and listen, a mix between flustered and furious. She knew immediately that the "clan gossips" were Blossomfall, Cherrypaw and Berrynose, and she suspected that Lilypaw wasn't innocent either. As for Molepaw... _I hope that apprentice has all of his priorities straightened out before I get to him_, she thought darkly.

She regained her train of thought around the same time the ShadowClan patrol stopped chaffing. "Wow, do ShadowClan really have nothing better to do then spread gossip?" Icecloud said hotly. Her face was flushed and felt like it was on fire.

"Do ThunderClan have nothing better to do then _create_ gossip?" Smokefoot easily retorted, not missing a beat. "You're lucky that it was only gossip this time, bright-eyes. Next thing you know it'll be battle plans."

_Bright-eyes_, the nickname echoed throughout Icecloud's mind. At this point she knew that she should feel offended, but honestly she just… didn't. Smokefoot's playful attitude made it hard for her to do anything but swoon.

Ratscar rolled his eyes. "Alright, come on casanova; let's go before it's _you_ who Dustpelt threatens."

"**Me**?" Smokefoot inquired, sounding somewhat offended. "Are you kidding? I'd sooner drop dead than have _anything_ to do with one of ThunderClan's she-cats!"

Ouch. _Now_ Icecloud could feel offended.

The pale brown tabby she-cat, who Icecloud had heard Ratscar call Grasspaw, giggled. "Good one Smokefoot!" Her voice made Icecloud feel sick.

Smokefoot shrugged. "It's the truth." But as his clan mates slowly turned around and padded away, Smokefoot glanced back and winked at Icecloud. "Try to keep those toms off of you, m'kay Bright-eyes?" And with those parting words, Smokefoot left to catch up with his patrol, leaving Icecloud starring after him, jaws agape and strangely enough, heart pounding.

_ "I wouldn't be surprised if every cat this side of the lake knew that story by now"_, Smokefoot's remark rang clearly in her head. So ThunderClan was already spreading the story, huh? And apparently Icecloud was now the laughing stalk of the clans, aye.

Icecloud exhaled heavily. _What did I ever do to desurve this? _The snowy white warrior couldn't help but wonder. Mousewhisker had been absolutely right when he called Icecloud a mentor's dream apprentice. And she was a perfect warrior; ready to defend her clan even at the cost of her life, but she tried to stay away from the clan's gossip and her friends' foolish ideas. She had stayed behind in camp when Foxleap, Rosepetal, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker snuck out of camp a couple moons ago to attend the gathering they hadn't been chosen to attend. And she felt so guilty about keeping the secret that she even confessed (anonymously) to Squirrelflight!

Talking back to her father earlier that day was the most rebellious thing she'd ever done_ in her life_, for StarClan's sake!

Icecloud shook her head as she started back to camp. "I need to talk to Rosepetal."

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**Am I the only one who completely falls in love with Smokefoot the moment he opens his mouth?**

**Next Chapter**

**Icecloud talks to Rosepetal about running into the ShadowClan patrol, and Rosepetal tells her that maybe it's time she starts proving to Dustpelt that she isn't a kit anymore. **

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**Review Replies**

**ScipiopB - Icy! Neither can I. I'm really excited for it :) So, was Smokefoot just as charming as you remember him? I introduced him a chapter early.**

**Pokesnail - Really? Then I take it you never got a chance to read the original copy?**

**Meowkitty1912 - Really? Well, isn't that a coincidence :) Except things are going to be a little different this time alone. And thank you!**

**QLKwriter - Actually, it didn't. They both had the same prologue, I just edited it :) But thank you!**

**Spottedmist - I'm really excited for it to! Fingers crossed it'll be just as good as the original!**

**Frostfall37 - Thank you so much :) I'm thrilled you're enjoying it. **

**Heart-Breaking Gandalf - Yes, we all know how they're your babies xD And I hope I portrayed him well. Despite being his only daughter my dad is actually pretty chill, and probably even crazier then I am. But over-protective fathers just seem so dramatic to me that it actually wasn't all that hard to write. Like, as long as I go a little over the top with Dustpelt, I feel pretty confident. And you know me so well - nope, not counting the book that should not be named. And I HATE those things! My friends always try talking me into getting mine done with them, and I have to think of better excuses than "I can't because I those things are evil and I can't write fanfiction with them on".**

**Cupcakesncholecte - Great username, first off ;) Secondly I'm glad that you're okay with the change. I was a little afraid that fans wouldn't want it to change accounts. **

**Mapleshade Returns - S'okay - sometimes I have to force myself to log in too :P Glad you're on board with the story still! **

**Leafpelt of ThunderClan - Good. Dustpelt is supposed to seem VERY over-protective. No one overreacts over regular parents :)**

**Whisker Sage - Interesting username. And here - an update just for you :) **

**Wish Upon a Warrior Cat - Ohmygosh, that was totally my favorite scene to write! I BEGGED Icy to let me be the one to write it. Thankfully she complied :) And "Impossibly Astounding" was by far my favorite chapter. And don't worry - Icy is a brilliant creative consultant. She does her job well!**

**SpiritsongCat - Spiritsong! You're right, it's been much too long! Good to hear from you again, and it's great to know that you still support Rebel :)**

**EmberyskyofShadowClan - Emberysky! My love, I've missed you! ... sorry, that wasn't too awkward, was it? Alright, I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen and move on. I'm glad you're on board with Rebel. I'm also glad you like the quote. I think I'm going to start doing that with all my stories now (minus DS, because I'm already so far into it) and I even made up this one! It sucks, but hopefully gets the point across. And if you love cocky Foxleap so much (but lets be honest - who DOESN'T adore cocky Foxleap?) you should check out "The Challenge" by Jeffrey Dahmer. She's my newest FF bestie, and it's a brilliant read. And I'm thrilled you like Icecloud's character. I'm trying really hard to make her as likable as possible, so that she doesn't come across as bratty when she starts messing with Dustpelt's head. And I love writing Dustpelt's outburst, I DO want to make them justifiable. He has to have a reason for being so over-protective, and after mulling over it some, I thought of the perfect one. Of course you'll find out what that is much later on in the story ;) BTW, you have no idea how hard it is to write "Smokefoot" instead of "Smokemask". It's ridiculous. I'm ashamed of myself.**

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**Question of the Day**

**What are your thoughts on Smokefoot?**


	4. Chapter 2 - To Rebel, or Not to Rebel

**It's Valentine's Day, Charlie Brown-eer, I mean, KatieKats!**

**Yes, it's Valentine's Day, love is in the air! And to celebrate this lovey dovy holiday, I present you with an update, because I love you KatieKats so very much. Really I do. Each and every one of you are the reason why I keep writing, and never cease to inspire me. Despite the lack of romance in this chapter, I hope you'll still enjoy it. I had wanted to post a different chapter so badly (for those of you who read the original "Rebel", it was the "Impossibly Astounding" chapter) because of all the fluff, but alas, this chapter needed to happen before that. **

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**Disclaimer - I, KatieK101, do not own Icy or "Warriors". If I did then Icecloud would not have died in BStorm.**

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**"Insecurity is an ugly thing, it makes you hate people you've never even met." - Unknown**

"I just don't understand why they have to treat me so differently now," Icecloud told Rosepetal, feeling much like a broken record. "I'm still the same Icecloud."

"I don't know about that; you are the last cat I would expect to go off on an apprentice." Came Rosepetal's dry response. Icecloud shot the creamy-colored she-cat an aggravated glance.

"Molepaw had it coming," was her reply. "If he would have had enough common sense to _not_ sneak into ShadowClan, then they never would have escorted him back to camp, and never would have overheard that Dustpelt was acting like a fox in a fit."

"Did it not occur to you that maybe I had already handled the situation, and that maybe pushing his warrior ceremony back was punishment enough?" Rosepetal asked, hotly. "I had everything under control and sorted out when you came storming into camp, and _screeched_ at my apprentice for a solid five minutes." Rosepetal waited for Icecloud to defend herself, but when she didn't, Rosepetal glanced at her best friend and saw that she had stopped padding through the forest, and was starring at her paws. Rosepetal instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over her, and a remorseful frown traced her lips. "Sorry Icecloud, I-"

"Don't worry about it," the snowy white she-cat meowed, not looking up from her paws. "You're right, I had no right to yell at him, especially in the middle of camp. StarClan only knows how much I hated it when Dustpelt did it to me. And you're right about how out of character that was for me." Icecloud exhaled loudly. "I never would have done that a moon ago, but Dustpelt already has me so coiled up, and the ShadowClan patrol was the last straw. I-I just needed to take my frustration out on something, and Molepaw seemed like the best option." Icecloud's head jerked up when she felt something curl around her neck, and smiled briefly when she realized it was only Rosepetal's tail.

"It's okay," Rosepetal said softly, returning the tender smile. "You're under a lot of stress. But if it makes you feel any better, cats aren't treating you differently because _you _changed, it's because they're all scared stiff of Dustpelt." Icecloud knew her remark about Dustpelt was meant to lighten the mood, filling the pretty she-cat's head with amusing images of her big, tough clan mates fearful of her father, but instead it had the opposite effect. Icecloud's placid frown returned, and she looked away, glaring at nothing in particular.

"That _doesn't _make things better, because I have absolutely no idea how to deal with that. I mean, what am I supposed to say that will convince Mousewhisker and the other toms that Dustpelt _won't_ shred them for sharing tongues with me?"

Rosepetal's smile became strained and she shrugged her shoulders weakly. "Let it all blow over?" She suggested, meekly.

Icecloud sighed again. "I don't know what else I can do."

"Just give it time." Rosepetal encouraged. "Ferncloud will talk some sense into Dustpelt, everyone will get over their fear of loosing their ears for talking to you - honestly I think they're more shocked then scared."

Her words seemed to sooth Icecloud, who looked back up at her, hopefully. "Do you really think so?" She asked. Rosepetal purred and nodded, and removed her tail from across the snowy white she-cat's shoulders.

"Yep!" She replied, cheerfully. "Just give it time and you'll see that I'm right. Now, I don't know if I'm imagining this or not, but every time you mention that ShadowClan patrol, you get this really strange look on your face. Like, a dreamy sort of look. What's that about?" Icecloud snorted and rolled her light blue orbs.

"You must just be seeing things, because there was absolutely **nothing** dreamy about that encounter."

"Nothing?" Rosepetal prompted.

"Nothing." Icecloud confirmed, but after a second she paused. "Well, actually, there might have been something..."

"I knew it!" Rosepetal exclaimed, bounding over to Icecloud's side. "What was it? Spit it out!"

"Clam down," Icecloud commanded, although her voice held no real authority, and she struggled to mask her playful expression. "It's not anything _that _interesting. There was just this one tom who was really, really attractive. I think his name was Smokefoot, and Rosepetal, I swear on StarClan that he _has_ to be the most handsome tom to ever grace the clans."

Rosepetal's eyebrows shot up. "_Grace the clans_?" She repeated. "He's so good-looking that his presence is considered _gracing_? And he's from _ShadowClan_?"

"I know it sounds stupid, but Rosepetal, you should have seen him. His pelt is jet black and his underbelly and chest is just a few shades lighter, and I swear, he must have the darkest blue eyes _ever._" Icecloud didn't take any notice when Rosepetal stopped padding alongside her, watching in absolute bewilderment as Icecloud swooned on her paws. The dreamy look had returned full-throttle and was blown up on her face for everyone to see. "He was just as cocky as you would expect him to be, and you know that he knows how good he is, but it wasn't deterring. If anything, his arrogance was actually kind of... charming, in a smug sort of way. Oh, yeah, he was charming alright." Icecloud sighed and a soft smile played across her lips, as if the tom were standing right in front of her.

Rosepetal cleared her throat, pulling Icecloud away from her fanciful daydream. "Wow, Icecloud," she said with an amused expression on her face, "if I didn't know any better, I would say that it was love at first sight."

Icecloud blinked. Her mind was still fighting off images of Smokefoot and making her brain a little slow. But when she realized that Rosepetal was referring to her and Smokefoot, Icecloud shook her head. "Love at first sight?" She echoed. "Not a chance. He's still ShadowClan, and everyone knows how stuck up those cats are.I bet he's ten times worse in his camp." Rosepetal shrugged, agreeably.

"True." She said, "Plus, if he's really as attractive as you make him out to be then he probably has a mate."

_A mate_? Icecloud hadn't thought about that. But she supposed Rosepetal was right - what she-cat in their right mind wouldn't want to be mates with Smokefoot? "Probably," Icecloud agreed, although the word seemed to get lodged in her throat. "I mean, if Smokefoot lived in ShadowClan, then there's no way he would be available. Dustpelt definitely wouldn't have to worry about Mousewhisker and me." Icecloud wasn't sure why she was rambling or even what she was rambling about, but she stopped when she caught sight of Rosepetal's expression.

"What?" She asked.

Rosepetal slowly smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, it's just... you."

Icecloud raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow."

"_You_. Going on about this ShadowClan tom who seems too good to be true, saying that if he lived in ThunderClan, Mousewhisker wouldn't be a problem. It's just... you're the last cat I would ever expect to hear all this from. It's kinda rebellious, and you've never been a rebel. You've always been that perfect apprentice, that perfect warrior who never strays away from the straight and narrow." Rosepetal laughed lightly and walked past Icecloud, flicking her with her tail as she padded deeper into the forest. "It's just a little strange is all."

Icecloud smiled politely back at her best friend, but when Rosepetal looked away, a frown replaced it. _Don't we all stray from the straight and narrow sometimes? _

"I'm not perfect, you know." Icecloud called, before catching up with the creamy-colored she-cat.

"I know you're not," said Rosepetal, "but you're not a rebel either." As an afterthought, Rosepetal looked at Icecloud and blinked curiously. "Are you?"

_Am I_? Icecloud didn't know how to answer that. Of course she had never considered herself a rebel, and always tried to be the very best warrior she could be, but if she really wasn't one, then why did she feel like saying 'no' wouldn't be the truth? _Am I a rebel_? Rosepetal was still looking at her, a question in her warm hazel eyes, and Icecloud forced out a purr. "Of course I'm not."

Why did that feel like such a lie?

* * *

"Oh um, actually Icecloud, we kind of have enough cats already… y'know?" Icecloud tried not to growl in annoyance as Molewhisker shuffled his paws, refusing to meet her icy blue gaze. Molewhisker and his sister, Cherryfall, had been made warriors only a couple days ago, and now the cream-and-brown tom was leading his first hunting patrol. Icecloud thought that maybe he was still a little fearful of her for screeching at him a half-moon ago, but the rest of the hunting patrol, Dovewing, Brackenfur, and Spiderleg did nothing to stand up for her. _They don't want me to come either. _

"Of course!" Icecloud exclaimed, trying to sound upbeat. "I understand. Maybe next time?"

Molewhisker still didn't meet his gaze as he meowed, "Yeah, maybe." The white she-cat was working hard to stiffen that growl.

"Well good luck hunting." Her words came out a little sharper then she meant for them to, but at the moment, Icecloud couldn't care less. She knew very well why Molewhisker and the rest of the patrol didn't want her there; it was the same reason why every tom had been avoiding her the past six days.

What Dustpelt had said about staying away from his only daughter had scared them silly.

"Why don't you go see if Thornclaw wants to patrol, Icecloud?" Spiderleg asked, smirking. "Or maybe Lionblaze and Berrynose? Or, even more fun, _Mousewhisker_?" Icecloud tossed her eldest brother a glare and growled softly, but instead of arguing with him she simply spun around and padded over to the sunningstones. Toadstep and Bumblestripe, who were sunning their bodies on the large, flat rocks, exchanged glances before darting over to the fresh-kill pile, far away from Icecloud. But Icecloud didn't notice, as she was listing all the ways she could murder Spiderleg and not get caught.

But after a couple minutes of these murderous thoughts, Icecloud's anger slowly dimmed. Unlike some families, Icecloud was close to all of her brothers, no matter what litter they came from. That meant they all tried talking to her after Dustpelt's blow up, but Icecloud ignored them. Dustpelt would search them out and demand to know what Icecloud said.

Can't have daddy's little princess talking bad about him now, could we?

Her thoughts now on her brothers, Icecloud began to silently analyze them. They were all in camp (with the exception of Spiderleg, who had finally left with his patrol, thank StarClan), and… and they were all watching Icecloud like a hawk. Icecloud growled quietly to herself but tried to ignore their obvious staring as she busied herself with the task of grooming her snowy white fur.

There was Spiderleg, who was the eldest of Icecloud's brothers. In Icecloud opinion, he was also one of the rudest, abrupt, and bossiest cats in all of ThunderClan, only second to Jayfeather. Icecloud would never understand why Daisy fell in love with him, but she would never blame the creamy she-cat for leaving him.

You then had Birchfall, whom Icecloud thought was the kindest of her brothers. He was a good warrior and even had a family of his own. And unlike Spiderleg, he managed to keep his mate and kits.

Not that Icecloud liked Birchfall more than Spiderleg or anything. Family was family, and no matter what, they were always there for you. They always did what they thought was best for you, and would never leave you.

Dustpelt had told Icecloud that as a kit. Not wanting to think about Dustpelt, Icecloud pushed on with her thoughts.

Lastly was Icecloud's litter mate, Foxleap. Obviously, out of all of her brothers she would be closest to Foxleap, but he was now that one that Icecloud avoided most. Foxleap just didn't understand how Icecloud felt, and the white she-cat realized with a jolt, that she had never thought that. Foxleap _always_ understood her. He was her best friend, her littermate! They'd been together since birth. The thought of drifting apart from him was almost enough to made her cry.

_You're the reason you're drifting away_, a voice in Icecloud's head whispered. _All you have to do is accept Dustpelt's wishes, and everything will be back to normal_.

Wait… no it wouldn't.

The moment Icecloud accepted Dustpelt's wishes was going to be the moment that everything changed.

_So what do I do_? Icecloud wondered. _Do I go against him and avoid my family, or do I listen to him and never have a family of my own_?

That wasn't a question Icecloud was ready to answer.

Instead she tried to distract herself with more analyzing, but she didn't have anyone else to analyze. She didn't want to think about her parents, and she'd ran out of brothers. But... she still had sisters. Hollykit and Larchkit. Icecloud frowned briefly. _Not much I can do there. They're dead. _Not that she had forgotten about them; quite the opposite.

Icecloud actually thought about the sisters she'd never met quite frequently; more so now then ever. She wondered how they would act; would they be blunt and crude like Spiderleg, or kind and always there, like Birchfall? Would Icecloud be as close to them as she was to Foxleap?

Would they know what to say to her when she was upset? Would they want to patrol and gossip with their younger sister? Would Dustpelt be as protective over them as he was over Icecloud?

"Got a lot on your mind?" A voice asked from behind Icecloud, and the white she-cat jumped; it was Ferncloud.

"I guess you could say that," Icecloud agreed slowly. For a minute the blue-eyed she-cat contemplated asking Ferncloud about Hollykit and Larchkit. What did they look like, who did they act the most like? Did they take after Ferncloud, or Dustpelt? And yet, Icecloud couldn't manage to conjure the words up. She didn't want to upset Ferncloud, and talking about your deceased daughters could definitely do that to cat.

Ferncloud gave her daughter a sympathetic smile, and alarms went off in Icecloud's head. Did she already know what Icecloud was thinking about? "I know you're mad right now, but Dustpelt is doing what he thinks is right."

_She thinks I'm thinking about Dustpelt. Best to keep it that way. _"But it isn't right!" Icecloud protested shrilly, sounding very much like a two-moon old kit. It didn't take very much for Icecloud to get into character, and she already felt her blood start to boil. "And it isn't fair either." Ferncloud sighed and sat down on the sunningstone beside her daughter.

"I know it may seem that way Icecloud," her mother tried again, "but just give him time. You're our only daughter; it's only natural that Dustpelt be a little overprotective." I haven't always been your only daughter.

"A little?" Icecloud echoed bitterly. "Six days ago he acted like a fox in a fit, and he then proceeded to tell every single tom in the clan to keep their paws off me. I-It's like he doesn't even know me! It's not like I would do anything irresponsible!"

"It's only a stage Icecloud." The speckled gray she-cat soothed her daughter. "Dustpelt will get over it, given time."

Icecloud snorted in disbelief. "It's a stage that's lasted my entire life. Did you know that right after my apprentice ceremony he told me that I should never go hunting with a tom alone because they would, "sink their claws into me"? I didn't even know what that meant! I thought that meant that the tom would attack me, and so every time a tom would ask me to go hunting, I would lie and say I was sick. Soon Jayfeather banned me from the medicine cat den!"

Judging by the way Ferncloud was taking in deep breaths and closing her eyes, Icecloud assumed no, her mother did not know that.

"I'm not saying that I support Dustpelt's… rules," Ferncloud said finally. "But please Icecloud, until I can convince him otherwise, stop avoiding him and your brothers?"

"But I'm still mad at him!" Icecloud complained. Ferncloud shrugged.

"Then pretend you're not. And every night when you go to sleep, you can think all the mean, nasty thoughts you want to." Icecloud sighed and purred softly; the other clans would sometimes whisper that Ferncloud was softer then a kittypet, but they would never say that to her face.

"Did Dustpelt tell you to come talk to me too?" Icecloud asked quietly.

Ferncloud flicked her tail in a dismissive manner. "You're father has no control over me."

Icecloud's purr grew louder as the speckled gray she-cat delivered a swift lick to her cheek. Then she stood up. "Alright, I promised Daisy I would help her watch Brightheart's kits; they're getting to be more and more of a pawful everyday. And besides, I think someone's waiting to speak to you." As Ferncloud padded away Icecloud blinked and lifted her head, turning around to see Mousewhisker.

Icecloud was surprised to see the gray and white tom; Mousewhisker had made up excuse after excuse to get away from Icecloud, clearly worried by Dustpelt's threats.

"Hey," Mousewhisker meowed softly.

"Hey," Icecloud whispered.

Mousewhisker lowered his green eyes to the ground for a moment, before looking back up to meet Icecloud's own blue gaze. "I-I kind of need to talk to you."

Icecloud was taken back, but couldn't stifle the delight that rose in her chest. "Is this about hunting together?" Icecloud asked. "Because I'm not busy now, if that's what you w-"

"Actually Icecloud," Mousewhisker interrupted, "that's… not exactly what I wanted."

"Oh?" The pretty white she-cat asked, now thoroughly confused. "Then what…"

The green-eyed tom took a deep breath. "I-I don't think that patrol should happen today. Or-or ever, for that matter. Um, I'm sorry but… I just don't feel the same way you feel about me."

At first Icecloud was confused. Mousewhisker, much like his siblings, was a very social cat who never stuttered, never faltered… and then Icecloud processed what Mousewhisker was actually saying. When she did her light blue eyes widened and tears filled them to the brim.

"I-I don't understand…" Icecloud whispered. "Is it because of what Dustpelt said?"

The gray and white tom hesitated, and Icecloud felt like she should have guessed. So much for family.

"Mousewhisker I-"

"Icecloud please don't make this any harder than it has to be!" Mousewhisker begged, cutting the she-cat off.

"A-any harder than it has to be?" Icecloud echoed, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall. "It doesn't have to happen at all! No one is making you-" And then it clicked.

Turning around slowly, Icecloud saw exactly what she thought she would. Dustpelt was standing behind her, his amber eyes narrowed. Her heart almost stopped when she saw Birchfall sitting beside him, watching her like a hawk.

Yes, so much for family.

Icecloud felt a snarl start to rise in her throat. "How dare you!" She cried, looking Dustpelt straight in the eyes. "How dare you try to control me!"

"Icecloud, Dustpelt didn't make me do anything!" Mousewhisker said hurriedly, trying to reassure her. Icecloud spun around to face him.

"Then you're a bad liar and a coward!" She spat, and Mousewhisker stumbled backwards, as if Icecloud had just clawed him across the face. But she didn't have time to feel remorseful. Dustpelt padded over to her side, looking at her with unmasked disappointment. Like she had done something wrong.

"Icecloud, stop that right now." His voice was brisk, like he was scolding an apprentice. Not warm and fatherly like it used to be. "There's no need for you to make a scene."

"No need?" Icecloud echoed, feeling the blood rush to her ears. "_No need_? All you ever do now is try to control me! Like you think I'm going to make some huge, disgraceful mistake! What did I ever do to make you think that way?"

Dustpelt growled. "You're making a fool out of yourself, Icecloud. I'm not trying to control you to do anything, I'm just trying to advise you. I know you. I've _always_ known you. And I know that you think you're in love with Mousewhisker," Dustpelt gestured at Mousewhisker, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else, "but Icecloud, _you're not. _I don't want you to make a mistake and end up having his kits."

Icecloud didn't know how to react. Was... was that it? Was Dustpelt afraid she was going to have kits? Was that what all this was about?! "You don't know who I love," the snowy white she-cat growled. Her clan mates had formed a sort of circle around the father and daughter, breathing softly in anticipation.

Dustpelt narrowed his eyes. "I never said I knew who you loved. I said I knew who you_ didn't_ love. And I figured it out before you, it would seem."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Icecloud spat angrily. She felt frustrated tears prick her eyes, but she refused to blink and let them fall. She was sick of crying in front of her clan mates. The blue-eyed she-cat growled and shoved through her clan mates, forcing herself to not bolt out of camp again, but to walk slowly and deliberately towards the warriors den. She was actually surprised when Dustpelt stepped aside and didn't try to stop her, but continued to watch her with narrowed amber eyes. No one tried to block her path or stop her.

She finally allowed her tears to fall after she'd collapsed in her nest and the soft sounds of her clan mates returning to their activities reached her ears. _He thinks I'm going to get pregnant. That's why he's so protective of me? And he said I didn't know who I loved... that's such a lie! If anyone would know who I like, it would be me! _

Icecloud wasn't sure how long she cried, or what Rosepetal and Ferncloud had told her when they came to check on her. She didn't notice Foxleap and Blossomfall stick their heads into the den and look at her with helpless expressions, like they didn't know how they could comfort their friend. Eventually, when Icecloud found she couldn't cry anymore, her thoughts drifted away from the humiliation that clung to her pelt, and back to Hollykit and Larchkit. Was Dustpelt afraid that they would ever gain mates? Was he scared that they would have kits of their own? Icecloud had wondered countless times what thoughts had rushed through Dustpelt's head when he first laid eyes on his kits; on Hollykit and Larchkit.

Were they any different from the first time he laid eyes on a certain small, helpless white she-kit?

Icecloud was willing to be the moon and stars that they were. How could they not be? After loosing his two, precious daughters to starvation when they weren't even two moons old, how could Dustpelt be capable of feeling anything else but fear the first time he looked at Icecloud?

Icecloud was too close to falling asleep to realize that she was thinking bitterly. That she was unconsciously, unintentionally, making herself hate the sisters she'd never met.

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**Next Chapter**

**Icecloud goes hunting with a friend and makes it her new mission to hook her up with her crush, and has a "impossibly astounding" gathering ;)**

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**Review Replies**

**Poke is Single and Proud - Pokesnail! You changed your username. I take it it's in honor of Valentine's Day ;)**

**Birdflame - Did this chapter help Dustpelt in your eyes, now that we know why he's so protective of Icecloud? I'm sure it didn't - most people don't _want _to like him, but I though his reasons needed to be justified.**

**Amberstorm233 - Yep. No Jessie. I will never consider "Bramblestar's Storm" canon, and since I refuse to read the actual book (I read the detailed description on Warriors Wikia), I doubt I could nail her personality anyways. I could possibly add her in a few cameos for you though? I take it you like her more than Squirrelflight? And what's wrong with Smokefoot's name?**

**Jeffrey Dahmer - Ugh, don't worry, I'm ashamed right alongside you. Actually, Smokefoot is based off the guy I used to be obsessed with in the seventh grade. We were best friends but the relationship never went anywhere, and now I'm a freshmen in high school, I have math class with him, and I constantly wonder, "why did I like him so much?!" Of course it could very well be because he is still incredibly good-looking... ANYWAY, yeah, I was really proud of myself when I thought of 'Bright-eyes'. At first it was Blue-eyes, but for reasons I cannot recall, we changed it at the last minute. Maybe Bright-eyes was more romantic sounding? I actually think Kaiden (the dude I used to like) called me Bright-eyes one time, because apparently my eyes were really bright that day? I don't actually remember, but maybe that's why? He had another nickname for me that he called me all the time, and while it isn't anything bad (it was actually pretty funny) it's nothing I'm announcing in the review replies. God forbid he also be a secret fanfic addict and read this, and put two and two together. Not that he would ever be addicted to fanfiction. He's addicted to much worse things... ANYWAY (again!) yes, dramatic characters are so much fun to write for! Like Fernpaw, for example ;) When are you going to update that, by the way?**

**ScarpathTheWarrior - Cool name. That is all I have to say.**

**xJayxx - Smokefoot is pretty fangirl worthy, isn't he? I always fall for the confident, player kind of guys. And you've heard of me? From who, may I ask :)**

**Whisker Sage - I thought it was a little goofy, but it's definitely growing on me xD You don't want to know some of the usernames I've had...**

**QLKwriter - *gasp* You didn't fall totally, completely, madly in love with Smokefoot the minute he opened his mouth?! ... that was supposed to be a joke. I kind of hoped that there would be some people who didn't fall in love with him the first time he was introduced, so that as the story goes on, they can really appreciate how much his relationship with Icecloud has developed. That job has now been appointed to you.**

**Spottedmist - Aw, thank you!**

**Lawsong - Honestly, neither do I. But people do crazy things when they feel like those they love are in trouble.**

**Hawkfeather - Well that was... random?**

**Scipio Gives Bad Love Advice - Great new username, Icy ;) Frankly, I would be willing to bet that you give fantastic love advice, and that you have friends who are love experts (... that was a corny Frozen reference, in case you didn't notice it...). ANYWAY, I'm glad you were happy with Smokefoot. It isn't the same writing him without you adding in your comments.**

**Cutiecupcake - Lazy! Of course I remember you! How are you? I feel like I haven't seen one of your reviews in forever!**

**DerpyUnicorns - Yes, you do just gotta love him :)**

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**Question of the Day**

**What is your favorite Warriors SE?**

** #Crookedstar'sPromise**


	5. Chapter 3 - Impossibly Astounding

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, but hopefully the fluff in this chapter makes up for it : ) It's the 'Impossibly Astounding' chapter for those of you who read the original Rebel, but with a few edits and twists. I can't say I love the beginning or the end, but the middle was pretty fun to write. **

**If you enjoy this chapter then please leave a review, and don't forget to answer the Question of the Day!**

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**Disclaimer - I, KatieK101, do not own Icy or "Warriors". If I did then Icecloud would not have died in BStorm.**

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**"The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person and the most unexpected time." - Unknown**

The following half-moon was difficult, to say the least. Icecloud felt like everywhere she went, every patrol she led, every word she said, her clanmates were judging her. It seemed like no matter what she did, someone was always watching her, just waiting for her to make a mistake or have an outburst. Icecloud felt like she was walking on spikes and thistles, trying to please everyone, and do what was right.

It was a feeling that Icecloud was growing sick of.

But what was she supposed to do? Foxleap and Rosepetal had told her to just ignore the stares and whispers, but that was easier said than done. Rosepetal had suggested she try to find something to keep her mind occupied, like a project, so that she wouldn't have time to think about what her clanmates were whispering about. It wasn't a bad idea at all. The only problem was Icecloud couldn't think of any such projects. Mentoring an apprentice was the most obvious choice, however there was no telling when Bramblestar would finally give her an apprentice of her own.

"Icecloud," Ivypool's voice jerked the pretty white she-cat away from her thoughts, and she glanced back to see Ivypool's dark blues eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay? You spaced out for a minute; a mouse darted right across your path and you didn't even blink." Although Icecloud shot the silver and white she-cat a smile, inwardly she was clawing herself.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, I was just thinking about something." Ivypool seemed to believe the white she-cat, and she nodded, though a bit hesitant.

"If you say so."

Icecloud waited for Ivypool to say something else, but when she only parted her jaws and scented the air, the blue-eyed she-cat frowned. Icecloud liked Ivypool enough, and she certainly wouldn't mind growing closer to the other warrior, but as of right then, they weren't exactly best friends. So when Ivypool approached her that morning and asked her if she wanted to join her in hunting, Icecloud thought maybe she had something on her mind. But the silver and white she-cat had yet to mention a specific topic, settling for small talk and one-worded responses.

_Well, if she won't ask me, maybe she's waiting for _me to _ask _her. "You know Ivypool," Icecloud started causally, "you seem kinda out of it too. I don't suppose there's anything on _your mind_, is there?"

Ivypool jumped, as if the question startled her, before shaking her head. "Of course not!" She exclaimed, a little too forcefully. Icecloud narrowed her brilliant blue eyes suspiciously.

"_Right_." She deadpanned. "And I'm the leader of WindClan. I wasn't born yesterday, Ivypool. I can tell when someone is lying." When something resembling guilt flashed across Ivypool's features, Icecloud's expression softened. She padded over to Ivypool and laid her tail across her flank. "I know we're not best friends or anything, but I hope you know that you can ask me anything, and I won't tell anyone."

Ivypool sighed softly, before looking up to face the pretty white warrior. "Right, I know I can. It's just… this is sort of embarrassing." Icecloud blinked. Since when was Ivypool the type of cat to get embarrassed, or self-conscious? She'd worked as a spy in the Dark Forest, for StarClan's sake! _I didn't think anything could faze you after you trained in the Dark Forest. _

Icecloud drew her tail back and sat down, curling it around her paws. "Well, if you ever want someone to talk to, I'm h-"

"DoyouknowifFoxleaplikesanyone?" Ivypool finally exploded, rounding on Icecloud with wide, dark blue eyes.

Icecloud sat frozen, her jaws still parted, but no sound came out. After a few tense heart-beats of sitting under Ivypool's desperate stare, she managed to clear her head and remember how to speak. "Uh, sorry Ivypool, I don't think I heard you correctly." Icecloud laughed softly. "It almost sounded like you asked me if Foxleap liked anyone, but," Icecloud paused as Ivypool's face flushed, and she developed a sudden interest in her paws. "Oh… really?"

Ivypool couldn't quite meet Icecloud's curious gaze as she answered, "…maybe?"

Icecloud nodded, more to herself than anything, as she tried to soak in this new information. Ivypool had a crush on her brother. _It's not _that _strange, _Icecloud tried to convince herself. _I mean, he isn't an unattractive cat, and I guess he has an appealing personality, if you're into that whole prankster kind of thing. _

"Well that… interesting." She said weakly. Icecloud couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy towards Ivypool as her cheeks flushed furiously. "Um, as of right now, I don't think Foxleap likes anyone. At least, he hasn't mentioned anyone as of recently." Ivypool nodded mutely, but Icecloud didn't miss the crestfallen look that flashed across her face. In an attempt to cheer the silver and white she-cat up she added, "Actually, the only she-cat I've ever known Foxleap to have a crush on is Dawnpelt."

Ivypool's head shot up. "Dawnpelt _from ShadowClan_?!" She half squealed, half shouted.

Icecloud couldn't help but laugh. "That's the one! But I don't think you have anything to worry about; that was _ages _ago, back when they were both apprentices." Ivypool visibly relaxed as Icecloud went on. "They're pretty good friends now, but I still tease him about it sometimes."

Ivypool exhaled quietly, "So he hasn't mentioned anyone?"

Icecloud shook her head. "Nope." Ivypool nodded, seemingly content, but Icecloud was far from satisfied with their conversation. As a matter of fact, the gears in her head had just started turning. _I bet if I tried, I could get Foxleap to admit he has feelings for Ivypool. And if he doesn't already have them, it wouldn't be too difficult to give him a nudge in her direction. This is exactly the kind of project I need! _

"You know," Icecloud gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, "I could always put in a good word for you, if you want."

Ivypool glanced over her shoulder, surprise evident on her features. "Really?" Icecloud nodded happily. For a second Icecloud thought Ivypool was going to take her up on her offer, so she was a bit taken back when the dark-eyed she-cat shook her head. "I appreciate the offer Icecloud, but… I think I'll just see how things play out." Ivypool bit her bottom lip, hopefully. "I mean, he'll have to notice me eventually, right?"

Icecloud shook her head vigorously. "Do you even know my brother? You could flat out tell him that you love him, and he would still be too dense to pick up on your feelings!"

"I don't actually _love _him-"

"Come on Ivypool," Icecloud pleaded. "I need a project; something to keep me busy, so I don't have time to pay attention to what everyone is whispering about me. And I won't let it slip that you have a crush on him. I'll make it sound like it was all my idea." When Ivypool still looked uncertain, Icecloud pressed on. "Or, if you want, you could just keep admiring him from a distance, and let some other she-cat swoop in on him."

That caught her attention. Ivypool's eyes widened at the thought of another she-cat making a move on Foxleap, and she shook her head. "Of course that's not what I want!"

"Then let me help you," Icecloud persuaded. "I'll get Rosepetal in on it too. She's great at this kind of stuff!"

The silver and white warrior was silent for a couple heart-beats, and then, "Alright. I-I want your help." An ear-splitting grin threatened to overtake Icecloud's features and a purr rumbled deep within her chest. An excited smile slowly played across Ivypool's lips. "Do you really think this will work?"

"Absolutely! Just you wait; give us a moon or two, and we'll have Foxleap eating out of your paws!"

**Rebel**

"Oh, _wow_," Rosepetal said slowly, glancing around her shoulder to look at the tom in question, before looking back at Ivypool. "_Foxleap_? _Really_?"

Icecloud wasn't sure Ivypool's face could flush any darker.

"It's not _that _strange," Icecloud meowed, defending Ivypool's crush on Foxleap. "Besides, they're already friends, and they work well together when they're assigned the same patrols. Here, picture it in your head; curious, playful Foxleap sharing tongues with careful, but adventurous Ivypool. There perfect for each other!"

Icecloud didn't miss the pleased smile that flickered across Ivypool's lips, and her own smile only widened when Rosepetal's face took on a thoughtful expression. "You know," she started, "it actually _is _pretty easy to picture. Your personalities are similar enough to where you would have common interests, and never run out of things to talk about, but they're different enough that you would balance each other out quite nicely."

Icecloud shot her best friend an impressed look. _I know I told Ivypool that Rosepetal was great with this kind of stuff, but I didn't know she was this good. _Ivypool also seemed impressed, and Icecloud was proud to note that her smile practically took up her entire face, and was borderline giddy with excitement.

"So, how do you plan on getting him to notice me?" Ivypool asked.

Icecloud opened her mouth to tell Ivypool she hadn't thought that far ahead yet, when Dovewing called for her sister. Ivypool looked torn between Dovewing and her newfound allies, and Icecloud nudged her shoulder. "Go talk to Dovewing," she meowed. "It'll give me and Rosepetal time to plan Operation: Foxpool."

Rosepetal snorted. "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. It needs to be Operation: Ivyleap!"

Ivypool laughed and shook her head, although her blush had returned full force. "I think I'm going to like hanging out with you guys more often," she said, before shooting them one last smile and padding over to Dovewing's side. Icecloud smirked at the obvious spring in her step.

"I don't like her."

Icecloud snapped to attention and looked at Rosepetal like she'd grown a second head. "Who, Ivypool? But you seemed to really like her!"

"Not Ivypool," Rosepetal growled, before lowering her voice to a mutter. "I was talking about _her sister._"

Realization dawned on Icecloud, and her startled expression softened into one of sympathy. "Oh," she said softly. "That makes much more sense."

Rosepetal shrugged her shoulders and lowered her gaze until it rested on her paws. Icecloud scooted closer to her best friend, letting their pelts brush. "I take it Operation: Bumblepetal still isn't going very well?"

Rosepetal sighed. "Operation: Rosestripe, actually. But no, it's isn't. It's going quite terrible, really." Icecloud bit her bottom lip as she stared helplessly at the cream-colored she-cat.

Rosepetal had had a crush on Bumblestripe ever since they were apprentices, and for a while the best friends thought that Bumblestripe might like her back, but that was all before Dovewing came into the picture. Only a couple moons after becoming an apprentice Bumblestripe became absolutely smitten with the pale gray she-cat, completely forgetting Rosepetal.

Icecloud had tried helping Rosepetal move on, even suggesting a relationship with her former apprentice Molewhisker, but it soon became clear that Rosepetal's heart was dead-set on one, black-stripped tom.

"It can't be _that bad_," Icecloud meowed, attempting to cheer up her up. Rosepetal was usually such an out-going she-cat, and it killed Icecloud to see her looking so depressed.

Rosepetal shook her head. "You don't understand Icecloud. They're so close that at this point, I'm just waiting for them to announce to the clan that they're mates!"

"Exactly!" Icecloud exclaimed. "And they've been that way ever since we won the battle with the Dark Forest. Don't you think, that if they really were interested in becoming mates, they would have announced it weeks ago? Maybe it's taking so long because they _don't _love each other. For all we know they could just be best friends!"

A frown traced Rosepetal's lips for a couple heart-beats before she looked up at her best friend, hope gleaming in her dark green eyes. "Do you really think so?" She asked.

Icecloud purred and flicked Rosepetal's ear with her tail. "I really do. Besides," a playful smirk spread across her lips, "don't you find it ironic that you're named after a flower, and he's named after a bee?"

Rosepetal rolled her eyes, "Oh my StarClan, Icecloud, how long are you going to tease me about that?"

Icecloud laughed and was ready to continue teasing her friend when Bramblestar leapt onto the Highledge and yowled loudly, calling the clan together. "He must be announcing who's attending the gathering tonight," Rosepetal said, after exchanging curious glances with Icecloud.

Hope bloomed in Icecloud's chest. "I hope he chooses us," she meowed. "I really need a break from camp. The gathering would be perfect!"

Rosepetal shot her friend a wicked smirk as they took their places beside Birchfall and Hazeltail. "Are you sure that's the only reason why you want to go to the gathering so badly? It doesn't have anything to do with a certain ShadowClan tom?"

Icecloud frowned and cuffed the creamy-colored she-cat over the ear. "Of course it doesn't!" When Rosepetal only continued to smirk at her she growled, "I'm being serious Rosepetal. Stop looking at me like that!"

"Hmm," Rosepetal hummed happily. "Whatever you say."

Icecloud rolled her brilliant blue orbs, inwardly concealing her annoyance with Rosepetal. Not because her best friend was wrong, but because she was _right. _Smokefoot had occupied a special place in her day dreams ever since she'd run into that ShadowClan patrol only half a moon ago. And Rosepetal, as much as Icecloud loved her, never missed an opportunity to tease her about it.

Icecloud sighed silently and flicked an ear as she listened to Bramblestar. "-attending tonight's gathering will be: Squirrelflight, Jayfeather, Dustpelt, Cloudtail, Sorreltail, Poppyfrost, Hazeltail, Icecloud, Rosepetal, Toadstep, Blossomfall, Bumblestripe, Molewhisker, Cherryfall, and Seedpaw."

Icecloud didn't know whether to be relieved or not. Yes, she and Rosepetal had been chosen to attend the gathering, but so had Dustpelt. And Mousewhisker hadn't been chosen, who Icecloud had secretly hoped to talk to that night. _Rosepetal _on the other paw seemed to have no problem with Bramblestar's selection.

"Yes!" She cheered softly. "Bumblestripe's going tonight, and Dovewing isn't!" Icecloud rolled her eyes good-naturedly and decided scold her best friend's hostile behavior later.

"Does this mean you're going to leave me alone tonight, and spend all your time trying to woo him?" The snowy white she-cat teased, but when Rosepetal flattened her ears against her head, Icecloud blinked. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Sorry Icecloud," the creamy-colored she-cat apologized, looking genuinely sincere, "but there's no telling when I'll have another chance to talk to him _without Dovewing_ around." She looked at Icecloud hopefully, and nudged her shoulder. "No hard feelings, right? It's not like you don't have other friends from ThunderClan going, and you know a lot of other cats from the other clans!"

Icecloud, although a small part of her wanted to be upset with Rosepetal for deserting her, managed to smile and shake her head. "Of course not. If Mousewhisker were going then I would probably do the same thing with you." Rosepetal scoffed although there was no venom behind it, and she soon returned Icecloud's smile with ease.

"Come on," the green-eyed she-cat purred, "the gathering patrol is getting ready to leave. We should go ahead and join them."

**Rebel **

Until that night, Icecloud had no idea it was possible to feel like such an outcast around cats she'd grown up around her entire life.

She'd had such an easy, fun day thus far that she completely forgot about how awkward the majority of her clanmates were around her. Upon departing from the camp, Icecloud had expected to be a part of the playful banter and friendly jostling that took place on the journey to the gathering island. But as StarClan seemed to just _love _proving to Icecloud, they were not on her side.

True to her word, Rosepetal had disappeared almost immediately to walk beside Bumblestripe, and the pair had yet to stop talking, and seemed to have an endless variety of things to laugh about. Icecloud was tempted to fall back to the edge of the pack and join them, but she would feel like she was intruding. She could always join Blossomfall, who she and Rosepetal were quite close to, but the dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat seemed to be having a very enjoyable conversation with Toadstep. Usually Icecloud would have no problem joining the pair, but there was something different about them that night; they were walking way to close together, and their pelts brushed too often for it to be a coincidence. Icecloud and Rosepetal had long suspected that their friend had a crush on Toadstep (a theory that absolutely disgusted Rosepetal), and if this wasn't considered solid evidence, then Icecloud wasn't sure what was. She would have better luck intruding on Rosepetal and Bumblestripe.

Scanning the cats huddled around her she tried to spot Cherryfall's ginger pelt in the mixture. Icecloud had easily befriended Cherryfall, back when she was Foxleap's apprentice and he would ask for her help during their training sessions. But she had no such luck; the only ginger pelt she could spy belonged to Squirrelfight.

And that was how Icecloud found herself in her current predicament. Somehow she'd ended up in the middle of the pack, surrounded by the cats that she had grown to love and respect. And yet they acted like complete strangers around her; they didn't know what to say, how to say it, or if they should even speak at all. Maybe they wouldn't have been so conflicted if Dustpelt wasn't also chosen to attend the the gathering, but unfortunately he was.

So instead of being treated like the capable warrior she was, Icecloud was being treated like a prisoner. _Don't over exaggerate things, Icecloud._ The blue-eyed she-cat thought bitterly, knowing that was exactly what Dustpelt would tell her if she voiced her opinion to him. So she simply sighed and lowered her head, so that she could make eye contact with the dirt.

The dirt had never wronged her, or treated her like an outcast.

In an attempt to distract her mind and not think about how the dirt was her only friend, Icecloud wondered who from the other clans would be attending the gathering; the leaders, medicine cats, and deputies, of course, but who else?

From WindClan Icecloud hoped that Sunstrike would be there, and… well, that was all. Icecloud never really had enjoyed WindClan's company. She found they were much to weary and suspicious, much like the rabbits they hunted. From RiverClan Icecloud would have liked to see Rushtail, a she-cat that she'd befriended during her first gathering. And Minnowtail and Graymist had always been friendly towards Icecloud.

And from ShadowClan… Icecloud's thought process trailed off as Smokefoot immediately entered her mind. For a moment the snowy white she-cat wondered what Dustpelt would say if he knew that a ShadowClan tom plagued his daughters mind.

"Icecloud." Well speak of the devil. Icecloud looked up from the dirt and was surprised to see the land bridge in front of her, as well as her father. She quickly glanced around as frown traced her lips, when she noticed that the last of her clanmates were crossing the land bridge. _Traitors. _

"We need to talk," Dustpelt meowed when Icecloud finally looked back at him, and raised an eyebrow.

Typical Dustpelt. There was never a 'can I have a word with you', or 'I need to speak to you'. It was always 'we need to talk.' So demanding, her father was.

But nevertheless, Icecloud reluctantly nodded and sat down. "Alright, what is it?" A small part of Icecloud was foolish enough to hope that he was going to apologize for his over-protective behavior and say that he was wrong.

"Don't slouch, Icecloud," Dustpelt said briskly, tapping her back with his tail. "You are a warrior of ThunderClan. You can't give off the impression that we are lazy or ill-mannered." Icecloud bit back a stinging retort as she fixed her posture. _It's not like the other clans think we're perfect. Oh, this apology had better be worth it!_

"You said we needed to talk?" Icecloud prompted through gritted teeth.

Dustpelt nodded. "That's right. I just wanted to let you know that Ferncloud talked to me about letting up on you and… I just can't do it."

"I accept your- wait, _what_?!"

The dusty brown warrior went on, "I considered it, but Icecloud, you're my only daughter. I refuse to let anything happen to you. And with that being said, I don't want to see you hanging around any toms tonight."

Icecloud's blood was far past boiling; she was so furious that she'd started trembling with rage. "What's _your problem_?!" she demanded. "What are you trying to protect me from? _Why _are you trying to protect me?"

"Because," Dustpelt growled, "I made a mistake with Hollykit and Larchkit. I wasn't able to protect them; I refuse to make the same mistake with you."

Shock crashed over Icecloud like a cold wave from the lake in leaf-bare. "You think about them too," She whispered before she could stop herself. An emotion Icecloud couldn't quite place softened Dustpelt's hazel eyes, and she didn't protest when he moved forward to nuzzle her cheek. Icecloud had to force herself not to lean into him and breathe in his scent like she did when she was a kit.

"Losing Hollykit and Larchkit," he started softly, "did horrible things to both Ferncloud and I. They were our first daughters, and the first kits we'd ever lost. And then loosing Shrewpaw only two moons later…" Dustpelt trailed off and Icecloud felt her eyes start to mist. "Icecloud, the pain of losing a mate or kit is indescribable, and one I wouldn't wish on any of my enemies. And that's what I'm protecting you from. I never want you to ever suffer through such unimaginable pain."

_So what's why he's so protective. He's thinks he failed his only other daughters_. Oh how tempting it was to snuggle as close as she possibly could to her father, and let him rasp his tongue over her ears. But she couldn't do that. Because that would be her way of surrendering the battle, and her way of promising that she was done fighting with him. And she _wasn't_ done fighting him. She wouldn't be done until he finally understood that she was a warrior of ThunderClan, who was more than capable of making decisions for herself.

"You couldn't have saved them," Icecloud whispered. "The entire forest was starving. You couldn't have-"

"Yes I could have!" Dustpelt snarled, and Icecloud jumped away from her father, started by his fierce reaction. "Looking back now, I always think of ways that I could have prevented their deaths. There are so many options, but I was too blind to see them."

"Dustpelt-"

"Icecloud, listen to me! I forbid you to go against my orders. Do you understand me?"

That was her breaking point. Any sympathy she felt towards her father shattered and became less than the dirt beneath her paws. _He's completely missing my point!_ "No, I don't understand you," Icecloud growled. "I don't understand you at all. Just… just stop ordering me around and let me live my own life! I don't need you hovering over my shoulder trying to make decisions for me!"

And with that as her parting act of defiance Icecloud spun around and made a daring leap onto the land bridge, ignoring Dustpelt's attempts to call her back.

_No. I can't listen to you anymore Dustpelt. I have to break free, and I have to prove that I'm my own cat. And I'll do whatever I have to in order to make you see that. I just wish I didn't understand where you were coming from anymore..._

**Rebel**

As Icecloud made her way across the gathering island, she tried to forget about her argument with Dustpelt and enjoy herself. She exchanged formalities with RiverClan and WindClan, and nodded to a couple of her own clanmates who were bold enough to acknowledge her. At one point, at their urging, she joined Blossomfall and Toadstep. They traveled around the island together for a couple minutes, and in that time it became increasing apparent that there was a spark between the two. So after the eleventh time their pelts "accidently" brushed (not that Icecloud was keeping count…), she politely excused herself, and said she wanted to speak with Rushtail from RiverClan.

Thankfully the duo were too engrossed in themselves to detect her white lie and didn't seem to notice that Rushtail hadn't been selected to attend the gathering that night.

So there she was, on her own again. She saw Rosepetal a minute later, and debated on approaching her and Bumblestripe, but decided against it. Rosepetal looked like she was having the time of her life, and even though Icecloud's presence wouldn't bother her, the white she-cat would still feeling like she was interrupting something.

By the time Icecloud had completed a full circle around the island she gained a newfound sense of disappointment. She'd greeted her friends and exchanged polite formalities with those she wasn't very close with, and now she was by herself again. But that wasn't even the worst part. No, the worst part was that apparently there was an admittedly pretty she-cat in ThunderClan whose father was way too protective over, and a couple of the gossips had overheard him scolding her by the land bridge, and warned her not to talk to any toms that night.

Icecloud pitied that she-cat with all her might.

So there she sat, alone, disappointed, and an outcast. She had placed herself a little ways to the right of the island, so that she was far enough that she wouldn't have to listen to the clans' gossips talk about her, but close enough that she could hear everything the clan leaders would report.

As Icecloud lazily scanned the crowds of cats waiting for the gathering to start, she noticed that a few toms were watching her closely, often smiling coyly at her whenever they made eye contact. The leers they tossed the pretty white she-cat made Icecloud shiver. _Why couldn't these be the toms that heard about Dustpelt's explosion? _She wondered.

But she wasn't about to go looking for her overprotective father – she had to step out of his shadow and prove that she could handle herself. So unless StarClan decided to take pity on the blue-eyed she-cat and make Dustpelt appear, she would handle whatever came her way _by herself._

"Hey Icecloud," A husky voice whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. Slowly turning around, Icecloud swallowed nervously when she came face to face with Mallownose of RiverClan. Although she wasn't friendly with the light brown tom, she had never been frightened or intimidated by him. And she wouldn't have been now, except there was a suggestive leer on his face and a strange gleam in his eyes that nearly sent Icecloud running. _Oh StarClan, why do you hate me?_

"Hey Mallownose," Icecloud said, with a polite dip of her head. "How's prey running?" The brilliant blue-eyed she-cat allowed herself a smile, proud when her voice didn't gave away that she intimidated by the large RiverClan tom.

The brown tabby tom shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh you know, its running. But," Mallownose flashed her a smile that suggested they weren't talking about prey. "I've always enjoyed a good chase."

Icecloud fought to keep her polite smile intact, in favor of wrinkling her muzzle. _What kind of pick up line was that? Ugh, of course it couldn't have been Blossomfall or Rosepetal that found me. _

Before Icecloud had time to think of a response that wouldn't sound too much like 'go find someone else to leer at' a new voice entered their conversation. "Hey there Bright-eyes, I didn't think daddy would let you out of his sight tonight." That voice… Smokefoot!

Spinning around faster than she thought possible, Icecloud felt like cheering when she saw the midnight colored tom. Icecloud shrugged and hoped she didn't look as excited as she felt. "I'm a warrior, Smokefoot. Not some helpless kit. Dustpelt can't control me."

Smokefoot smirked. "I have a hard time believing it's as easy as you make it sound." Then, glancing boredly at the RiverClan tom, Smokefoot said, "Hey Mallownose. Fancy seeing you here." Icecloud noticed that Smokefoot's voice was considerably colder as he spoke to the other tom.

Mallownose growled, "Fish-brain, I walked in front of you on RiverClan's way to the Gathering! How could you not have seen me?"

Smokefoot didn't flinch away from Mallownose's enraged tone. "I meant fancy seeing you with Icecloud, idiot." Icecloud was silently thanking Smokefoot.

Mallownose's eye twitched. "It's a gathering. I can talk to her if I want to." Smokefoot snorted.

"_Talk to her_? Mallownose you looked ready to corner her and _devour her_!" Icecloud made a face at Smokefoot's crude way of wording things, and resisted shuddering, thoroughly disgusted. _Well, he certainly has no problem being blunt, does he?_

As Mallownose opened his mouth to protest, he took a step closer towards Icecloud. Before the light brown tom even set his paw down, Smokefoot growled and shoved Icecloud out of his way, thrusting his muzzle in Mallownose's face. "Set that paw down and I'll rip it off of your leg," He growled softly, midnight blue eyes narrowing.

Icecloud blinked as she watched the show in front of her, startled. _Smokefoot and Mallownose clearly know each other. Why would they get so worked up over me?_ Not to mention the fact that Icecloud knew Smokefoot about as well as she knew Mallownose. Mallownose's own hazel eyes widened and he quickly drew his paw back. Then, after looking from Smokefoot to Icecloud, Mallownose rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever. I have to talk to Owlclaw, but I'll catch up with you later Iceclo-"

"No you won't." Smokefoot said simply. "At least not if I have anything to say about it."

Mallownose glared at the ShadowClan tom but Smokefoot returned it with practiced ease. Then, apparently deciding he had had enough, Mallownose turned around and stalked over to a light brown tabby tom, who Icecloud assumed was Owlclaw.

Turning back around to face Smokefoot, Icecloud smiled a little. "Thanks for chasing him off." She muttered, loud enough for only him to hear. "I didn't even realize ShadowClan had arrived on the island."

Smokefoot shrugged her gratitude off. "Don't mention it, Bright-eyes. Mallownose is one of the most annoying cats in RiverClan anyways. He needs to be put in his place." Looking around his surroundings the midnight colored tom added, "The Gathering's bound to start soon. Don't tell me _this_ is where we're sitting." Icecloud blinked, caught off guard.

"Wait, you mean you want to sit with me?"

Smokefoot seemed surprised that Icecloud was surprised. "Sure. Why wouldn't I?"

Icecloud spoke before she could stop herself. "Why _would _you?" When Smokefoot frowned she hurried on. "I mean, it's not like we're best friends or anything – I've only actually met you once – and," the white she-cat cringed, ashamed, "why would you want to sit with a she-cat whose father is an overprotective mess?"

Realization dawned on Smokefoot's features, and he smirked at Icecloud. "A better question is why would I care? So Dustpelt might pitch a fit; I'm a full-blown warrior. I think I can handle a little shouting." He chuckled. "StarClan, if he does shout at me, I'll just shout back."

Icecloud flattened her ears at the thought of an angry Dustpelt – she really didn't want to deal with him anymore then she had to – but a giggle escaped her lips as well. Smokefoot had to be the most rebellious tom she'd ever met. "You sure your mate won't miss you?"

Smokefoot shrugged. "Kinda hard for her to when I don't have a mate."

Icecloud couldn't keep the surprise off her features. "You don't have a-"

Rowanstar's yowl interrupted the pretty warrior, as he signaled the start of the gathering. "Come on," Smokefoot hissed in her ear. "Let's go sit in the back." He stood up and padded silently to the back of the crowd of cats, unseen. He didn't glance back at Icecloud, and after only a second of hesitating, she followed him.

**Rebel **

Icecloud was surprised at how natural it felt to talk with Smokefoot. Despite this being only the second time they'd ever spoke, Icecloud felt like they'd known each other for forever. She didn't feel out of place sitting next to him, and she didn't have to filter what she said to him. He was just so laid-back, so easy-going, that Icecloud couldn't believe this was the same tom who threatened to rip off Mallownose's paw.

"So, you never told me how you convinced Dustpelt to let you attend the gathering." Smokefoot reminded the snow-colored she-cat. Icecloud shrugged.

"What is there to tell? Bramblestar is my leader, not Dustpelt. I don't have to _convince him_ to let me do _anything_."

"Easier said than done."

Icecloud shot her companion a look of mock suspicion. "Why are you so nosy?"

Smokefoot looked hurt. "_Nosy_? It's called a healthy curiosity, thank you very much." Icecloud laughed lightly, and Smokefoot found himself chuckling as well.

Finally Icecloud meowed, "Honestly, I didn't think he cared very much at first. He didn't riot or protest, and I thought he might actually be okay with it, but he stopped me at the land bridge once the rest of ThunderClan had gathered on the island, and said he didn't want to see hanging around any toms tonight, and that I needed to start obeying his rules." Icecloud decided not to mention that he also stated his reason for being so overprotective over her, or that she finally understood where he was coming from.

Smokefoot smirked; his trademark expression, Icecloud had found out. "Oh? I guess that means I should go then, so that daddy doesn't claw my eyes out?" Icecloud ignored the 'daddy' jab and shook her head.

"He said he better not see me; obviously that means I can talk to whoever I want, so long as I do it without being spotted."

"Obviously that means you're delusional."

"Shush!" A voice hissed, and Icecloud recognized Leaftail of WindClan. Leaftail glared at the two warriors, and gestured to the Onestar, who was currently giving his report.

Icecloud had enough maturity to simply ignore the WindClan tom, but Smokefoot apparently did not. Instead he shot Leaftail a glare of his own and hissed, "go shush one of your own clan mates, rabbit-breath! It's a gathering; you're _supposed_ to talk!"

Icecloud stared at Smokefoot with wide sky-blue eyes, not able to keep from giggling. If she had said anything relativity rude then Dustpelt would've had her pelt.

Leaftail growled in annoyance as he turned around, not responding to Smokefoot's offenses. Icecloud shook her head as Rowanstar stepped forward, starting his report.

"ShadowClan are doing well this leaf-fall. Prey is plentiful and the Twolegs are staying away from our territory." Rowanstar paused for a second, allowing his clan to cheer. When the cheering died down he continued. "And while kittypets and rouges have posed no threat, ShadowClan did have a nasty run in with a mother fox just a half-moon ago." A couple gasps were heard, but other than that there was silence among the clans.

"The fox was extremely close to ShadowClan's camp, but one of our warriors, Smokefoot, bravely led a patrol to chase it off." Icecloud blinked as the clans took up Smokefoot's name in a cheer. _He didn't mention anything about a fox._

Smokefoot nudged Icecloud and whispered in her ear, "Aren't you goanna cheer for me too?"

Icecloud shook herself out of her daze and looked playfully at the midnight pelted tom. "What? Four clans aren't enough for you? I think you're getting a little cocky, Smokefoot."

Smokefoot winked at Icecloud. "Icecloud, I won't be happy until StarClan's cheering my name." Well at least he was honest.

Icecloud laughed softly but joined in the cheering. Smokefoot sat up taller, shamelessly soaking in the praise. Icecloud playfully rolled her brilliant blue eyes. _He's certainly a character, isn't he? _

Soon the chanting came to an end and Rowanstar stepped back, allowing Mistystar to give her report. Not really interested in RiverClan, Icecloud let her gaze drift off across the gathered cats. She saw Owlclaw was now sitting next to Scorchfur, Rosepetal was whispering something in Bumblestripe's ear, and Dustpelt was- Icecloud felt her breath hitch in her throat.

Dustpelt was staring right at Icecloud, enraged amber eyes boring into her own sky blue eyes.

If Smokefoot was aware of the silent stare-off he didn't show it. The white she-cat was thankful that he was oblivious, considering that Smokefoot had no censor and had already assured Icecloud that he wasn't scared of getting into a fight with her father.

Icecloud's blood slowly came to a boil as Dustpelt continued to stare. The ThunderClan warrior could read her father like an open book, and the look he was giving her now was clear: get away from Smokefoot.

It wasn't fair. Could she really not be friends with a tom?! Not even one who was from a different clan, who Icecloud would probably see once every moon?! _You can't control me anymore!_ StarClan, was she going to have to scream to get her point across to him?

Icecloud was so close to snapping and doing just that. She was at the point where she was willing to do just about anything to make her father understand.

And then it hit her.

While screaming would do her point justice, it would draw too much attention. She needed to do something that only Dustpelt (and maybe a few gossip-craved apprentices) would notice: flirting.

So, without breaking eye contact with her father, Icecloud scooted closer to Smokefoot so that their pelts were touching. Electricity sparked from the connection, and Smokefoot jumped in surprise. Glancing over at Icecloud he asked, "Are you okay?"

Icecloud smiled sweetly at him. "Yeah, I'm just a little chilly."

Smokefoot quickly regained himself as he smiled coyly at the ThunderClan she-cat. "Oh? Why didn't you just say so?" Taking matters into his own paws Smokefoot decreased the distance between them, until Icecloud felt like she was being shoved against his side.

She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it.

Icecloud watched as a look of absolute fury flashed across Dustpelt's futures. But Icecloud knew that Dustpelt wouldn't try to stop her: never would he make ThunderClan look bad in the middle of a gathering.

Deciding to push the limit a little further, Icecloud buried the side of her face in Smokefoot's chest fur. Inhaling his musky ShadowClan scent, Icecloud thought she would be repulsed, but was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't an awful smell; it was actually kind of nice. It smelt like the pines and woods, and of Smokefoot's clan mates. It was refreshing.

Allowing her eyes to meet Dustpelt's, she saw that he was practically trembling with rage. _That's enough, _Icecloud thought to herself.

Starting to pull away, Icecloud was surprised when Smokefoot nuzzled her ear; it wasn't a bluntly obvious gesture, so Icecloud doubted that anyone (besides Dustpelt, of course) noticed. But it was still enough to make her blush and start a warm feeling in her stomach. She actually liked it.

She _loved_ it.

"What game are you trying to play with me, Bright-eyes?" Smokefoot whispered in her ear. His husky voice sent shivers down her spine.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Smokefoot chuckled.

"So cuddling with a tom from another clan to make your father jealous is nothing new, huh?"

Icecloud stiffened and Smokefoot chuckled again. "You noticed that?"

"I notice everything, Bright-eyes." Icecloud shook her head.

"You're impossible."

"Impossibly _astounding_." Came his arrogant retort.

"Hmm, and _ever so_ humble." That brought a soft laugh from both cats, and once again, Icecloud was amazed by how easy it was to converse with the ShadowClan tom. Icecloud looked up at check on Dustpelt, and she saw that his ridged body was turned to face the clan leaders. _He couldn't handle anymore. If he kept watching me he would have exploded._

"Well, just know that _I'm_ playing a game with you." Smokefoot told her softly. Icecloud blinked her brilliant blue orbs.

"What do you mean?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Came the teasing remark.

The pretty white she-cat only rolled those beautiful eyes of hers, knowing that she wouldn't get an answer. But she didn't move or try to pull away; oh no, despite getting her way with Dustpelt, Icecloud remained in her position with Smokefoot; the ShadowClan warrior didn't protest in the slightest.

_Remember,_ Icecloud firmly reminded herself, _this doesn't mean anything. Smokefoot just likes irritating other cats and you're doing this to prove a point._ Why did everything Icecloud tried to herself feel like a lie nowadays?

Well, it didn't matter that Icecloud felt like she was lying to herself because _she wasn't_. She couldn't be. She'd had a crush on Mousewhisker ever since she was an apprentice, and there was no way in StarClan that Smokefoot – handsome, cocky, rebellious Smokefoot - could just erase her feelings for the tom in just one gathering.

It was impossible. _Smokefoot _was impossible.

Impossibly astounding.

**Rebel**

The rest of the gathering was uneventful. None of the clans had anything important to report, and times were peaceful. Icecloud and Smokefoot remained in their cuddling position, due to the fact that Icecloud actually had grown chilly in the crisp new-leaf air.

"None of the clans have anything else to report, then?" Mistystar checked, glancing at the other three leaders. While Onestar was staring daggers at Rowanstar (apparently Smokefoot had chased the fox into _WindClan's territory_ – a fact that Smokefoot was quite proud of), no one had anything else to report.

Mistystar nodded. "This gathering is dismissed then. RiverClan, say your good-byes and meet me by the land bridge." The other leaders started calling out commands of their own, and Icecloud pulled away from Smokefoot.

"Thanks for keeping me warm," She said with a teasing smile, although inwardly she was trying to stifle her disappointment. She wasn't ready to say good-bye to her ShadowClan companion yet.

Smokefoot purred. "Thanks for letting me help tick off Dustpelt."

Icecloud shook her head. "I think you enjoy confrontation a little too much, Smokefoot."

"I might have a slight addiction to it." Icecloud laughed in a sing-song tone.

"I wish the gathering didn't have to end," the pretty white she-cat admitted. "There's so much I don't know about you." Only then did Icecloud realize what she said, and she blushed.

But Smokefoot looked playful. "Is there a lot that you want to know about me?" Icecloud didn't trust her voice so she only nodded.

The dark blue-eyed tom studied Icecloud for a moment before whispering, "Then meet me tomorrow night at border where my patrol found you."

Icecloud was stunned; did she hear him right? "W-what-"

"You want to know about me, and I want to know about you. It's a win-win situation!"

"Hold on," Icecloud demanded, keeping her voice quiet so that she didn't attract attention. "What if someone sees us?" No! That wasn't what she meant to ask!

"They won't," Smokefoot promised, hurriedly. "I know a place where no one would ever think to find us."

This was crazy! "Smokefoot I-"

"Icecloud please," Smokefoot pleaded; hope overflowing in those dark blue eyes. "Please, it doesn't have to be a reoccurring thing, but just once, meet me. I-I…" Smokefoot trailed off, and Icecloud realized that this was probably the first time Smokefoot had ever been rendered speechless.

Icecloud was conflicted. She needed to say no. She wanted to say yes.

"I… I don't know," Icecloud meowed, looking at where her clan was crossing the land bridge, almost gone.

"Icecloud, please," Smokefoot tried a last time. "Just as friends; all we'll do is talk. No one will notice you're missing, and you'll be back to your clan by sun-high."

She would have to say no. Icecloud couldn't get attached to a tom from another clan, much less ShadowClan; she couldn't betray her clan and the warrior code like this.

"I'll be there."

Smokefoot sighed in relief and sent a silent thank you to StarClan. "Alright, meet me at midnight." Leaning forward to touch noses with the white she-cat, Smokefoot murmured, "Until tomorrow night, may StarClan light your path, Bright-eyes."

Then Smokefoot bounded away to join his clan, leaving Icecloud dazed, confused, and… completely smitten.

As the blue-eyed she-cat raced over to the land bridge to catch up with her clan, her heart was doing summersaults and she'd never felt so warm. No, Smokefoot hadn't erased her feelings towards Mousewhisker, but he had joined his rank.

_How can I have two crushes on two separate toms? One who's ignoring me, and the other in ShadowClan!_ If StarClan had a sense of humor, then they probably found the whole ordeal amusing. Icecloud liked to think that a few of them were kind enough to pity her.

As Icecloud finally caught up with her clan, she was still stunned. _How did he do it? How did he make me fall for him so quickly? _True, Icecloud had already been attracted to him – would wouldn't be? – and never ceased to amaze her how easily they conversed with each other, but-

Just then Smokefoot's words came flooding back over her_. "Well, just know that I'm playing a game with you."_ Icecloud's brilliant blue eyes widened. He planned this! He worked on her the entire gathering, slowly but surely earning her affections.

Anyone else wouldn't have succeeded, maybe not even Mousewhisker, but for Smokefoot, all it took was one night for Icecloud to fall in love.

It was impossible.

Astoundingly impossible.

It was _impossibly astounding_.

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**Review Replies**

**Carmel Whicker Basket – It means Super Edition ;) **

**Whisker Sage – Thank you, Sage =)**

**Poke the Otaku – Honestly, It kind of annoys me xD Because while I do love her and Mousewhisker together (however my new favorite Mousy ship is MousexIvy), in none of my stories do they seem to be able to get together! Not in Rebel, not in FRAMED. I guess that's what happens when you ship Mousewhisker with everyone. **

**3Snow Fox3 – Thank you very much!**

**Photography Bird – Awh, I made you cry? Hopefully this chapter was more light-hearted =)**

**Xjayxx – Oh gosh, Crookedstar's Promise is wonderful! The most tear-jerking too, in my opinion. I loved every single character (with the exception of Beetlenose and Rainflower). **

**Lazy Watermelon – You got a puppy? Awh! What breed =)**

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**Question of the Day**

**What's your favorite Icecloud-centric ship? **

**#IcecloudxMousewhisker**


	6. Chapter 4 - Perfect, I Am Not

**Hey KatieKats! Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out to you guys, but I'm trying to focus more on 'Rebel', since I'm currently re-doing the plot to 'FRAMED'. So hopefully updates will be a bit speedier.**

**Announcement: I will no longer respond to reviews at the end of each chapter. I know you guys enjoy them, but they do take a good while, especially when I have so many wonderful readers I need to reply to. However I've come up with an alternative I think most of you will love. Starting as of now, if you leave a review, I will be sending you a review reply in the form of a private message. That way I can take my time with them, and maybe make them a little longer. Of course sending them out to all of you beautiful people is still going to take a good bit of time, which is why I've kidnapped one of the characters of Rebel, and am forcing them to be my secretary. If you ever wanna know who, I guess you better leave a review, huh ;)**

**If you enjoy this chapter then please leave a review, and don't forget to answer the Question of the Day!**

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**Disclaimer - I, KatieK101, do not own Icy or "Warriors". If I did then Icecloud would not have died in BStorm.**

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**"The worse thing in the world is to be treated like your perfect, when you know you're not." – Unknown**

_Okay Icecloud, keep a grip on yourself. You meet with Smokefoot tonight, but until then you can't any different, or give anyone a reason to be suspicious of you. Especially not Dustpelt. _The pretty white she-cat nodded to herself, feeling slightly calmer after her pep talk. The butterflies in her stomach stopped fluttering so violently and she felt confident that if she ate something that morning she would be able to keep it down. With that in mind she strolled out of the Warriors Den and into the center of camp, where Squirrelflight was assigning patrols.

"Icecloud," a voice called, and Icecloud glanced back to see Rosepetal and Ivypool sharing a blackbird. The creamy-colored she-cat beckoned her over with her tail, and Icecloud complied, smiling brightly.

"Morning," she chirped. "That looks delicious," she said, gesturing to their half-eaten blackbird.

Ivypool nosed it towards her with a smile. "Then consider it yours. We've had our fill."

Icecloud's brilliant blue eyes widened with delight, and she licked her lips in anticipation. "Well, if you insist." Without hesitating another heart-beat she bent her head down and started to devour the morsel in neat, rapid bites. "It takes even better than it looks," she moaned in between mouthfuls.

Rosepetal, who was laying contently on her stomach, raised an eyebrow. "What's gotten into you today?" She asked. "I've never seen you this cheerful in the morning."

Icecloud's heart jumped in her throat and she nearly choked on her mouthful of meat. _Is it that obvious that I'm meeting with Smokefoot tonight? I thought I was concealing it! _"I, ah, don't know what you're talking about." The snowy white she-cat lied, refusing to make eye contact with her best friend. _Oh StarClan Icecloud, you've ruined it already! Everyone knows you're a horrible liar! Ugh, there's no way I'll be able to escape Rosepetal's interrogation later. _

Raising her eyes from her fresh-kill ever so slightly, Icecloud only confirmed her suspicions when she saw that Rosepetal had narrowed her dark green eyes, and was staring at Icecloud with an expression that practically screamed _'liar!' _

However Ivypool, who wasn't yet as close to Icecloud as Rosepetal was, didn't seem to think anything was out of place, and playfully nudged Rosepetal. "There's a first time for everything," she teased. "Who knows? Maybe Icecloud's turning into a morning cat."

"_Excuse me_?" A new voice entered the conversation and Icecloud easily identified it as Foxleap. Shooting Ivypool a quick glance, she saw that the she-cat had straightened up, and her dark blue eyes were noticeably brighter. Icecloud couldn't keep the knowing grin off her features as she turned around to look at her mischievous brother.

"What?" She asked, pretending to be offended. "Don't tell me you think I'm destined to be a grouch every morning for the rest of my life."

Foxleap snorted as he sat down. "Oh, please, that's the only thing _I am_ sure about." He switched his gaze from Icecloud to Ivypool. "Do you know how I got this nick in my ear?" He asked, flicking his right ear.

Ivypool shook her head and Icecloud groaned loudly. "Not this story again! Foxleap, I said I was s-"

"So one morning when we were apprentices, Whitewing saw I was awake and asked me if I could wake Icecloud up for the dawn patrol. I know how grumpy Icecloud is in the mornings, but I, being the perfect apprentice that I was,"

"Oh for the love of StarClan," Rosepetal mumbled.

"Accepted the daunting task and went to wake up my _beloved sister._" Foxleap continued, shooting Rosepetal a glare for talking during his oh-so-important story. Icecloud rolled her eyes impatiently, as she'd heard his recalling a thousand times before, but didn't interrupt.

The russet-colored tabby tom continued. "So I stroll cautiously into the Apprentice Den, fully aware of the face that that day could be my last," _He's so dramatic! _"And gently prod Icecloud with my paw. And before I even have the chance to explain myself or deliver Whitewing's message, Icecloud _leaps at me_ with her claws _unsheathed _and _slices my ear clean off my head_!"

Rosepetal frowned. "Mouse-brain, you were telling us how you got a _nick in your ear_. Besides, you still have both of your ears firmly attached to your head!"

"Not for much longer," Icecloud muttered to her best friend.

Foxleap swished his tail, brushing off Rosepetal's comment. "A minor fact," he said.

"So," Ivypool started, looking from Icecloud to Foxleap uncertainly. "What was the point of that story, exactly?"

"That Icecloud is and will forever be a fox-heart in the mornings," Foxleap concluded seriously. Ivypool didn't look nearly as serious as her crush, but for the sake of getting on his good side, nodded.

"I'm sorry Foxleap, but is there a reason you come over here?" Icecloud asked, frowning lightly. She knew she probably shouldn't chase her brother off since they were trying to nudge him in Ivypool's direction, but he ruined her cheerful mood; she wasn't _nearly_ that grouchy in the mornings!

For a moment Foxleap looked confused, as if he forgot why he came over to his friends, before remembrance dawned on his features. "Oh, right. Squirrelflight wants us to check on the borders by the Old Thunderpath."

Rosepetal's eyes widened and she jumped to her paws, Icecloud and Ivypool following her lead. "And you're just now telling us?!" Rosepetal demanded. "What, do you _enjoy _Squirrelflight yelling at you?!"

Before Foxleap had a chance to reply all three she-cats darted out of camp, nearly running over Hazeltail and her apprentice, Lilypaw. Foxleap coughed on the dust that was scattered into the air, before taking off after them. "Traitors, wait for me!"

**Rebel**

When the four young warriors returned to camp later that day, they all returned thoroughly frustrated. Foxleap was frustrated because Rosepetal snapped at him and told him his jokes were all incredibly lame; Ivypool was frustrated because some she-cat who lived at the Horseplace was flirting with Foxleap, and took no notice of the glares that Ivypool sent her way; and Icecloud and Rosepetal were both frustrated because-

"He has **got** to be the most oblivious tom the clans have ever seen!" Icecloud growled to her partner in crime.

Rosepetal snorted. "Tell me about it! And I thought Bumblestripe was oblivious. Foxleap is even blinder than Jayfeather!"

"Probably," Jayfeather agreed as he trotted past the she-cats, scaring them out of their fur, before they shrugged it off and resumed their complaining.

Throughout the patrol Icecloud and Rosepetal used every excuse they could think of to get Foxleap and Ivypool to have a moment, from dropping suggestive hints to pushing Ivypool on a thorn and telling Foxleap he should remove it. However their brilliant matchmaking tactics died in vain, for it seemed that Foxleap was incapable of being romantic. Or at the very least, he was incapable of taking a hint.

"I hope Ivypool isn't feeling too put off," Icecloud murmured as she watched her new friend enter the medicine cat den to have her paw properly examined. "I mean, she seemed to take it well. Minus the glaring at that random she-cat, that is."

"Maybe we should just flat out tell Foxleap that Ivypool likes him?" Rosepetal suggested. "He's _way_ too ignorant to pick it up on his own." However Icecloud was quick to shoot down that idea.

"No way," She said, shaking her head. "We'll just try harder, or think of something else." Rosepetal huffed but she didn't protest.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join together for a clan meeting!" Icecloud's head snapped up and towards the Highledge just in time to see Bramblestar scale the large cliff. She blinked her namesake ice-blue eyes and looked curiously at Rosepetal.

"Did you know we were having a clan meeting today?" She asked her best friend.

Rosepetal shook her head, although excitement gleamed in her dark green eyes. "No, something important must be happening. Come on, let's go!" The creamy-colored she-cat darted forward to secure them a good spot, however Icecloud followed her much more reluctantly. Usually Icecloud would have raced Rosepetal to their spots, but right then she couldn't manage to feel anything other than dread. _What if he called the meeting because he saw Smokefoot and me last night at the gathering? What if he thought we were being too friendly, or he overheard me agree to meet with him tonight? Oh StarClan, please don't let me be right!_

Icecloud felt sick to her stomach as she sat down beside Rosepetal, who raised an eyebrow when she saw her friend's anxious state of being. "Are you alright?" She asked, looking suspicious.

"Fine," Icecloud replied curtly. Rosepetal didn't look convinced but that next moment Hazeltail sat beside Icecloud, and Rosepetal thought better then to question her in front of her clanmates.

"Hey, what's wrong with you two?" Hazeltail asked, grinning broadly. "Icecloud looks like she's about to throw up, and Rosepetal looks like she's ready to investigate a crime." She playfully nudged Icecloud. "Lighten up, you're killing the mood."

_Bramblestar's about to kill me. _"I don't suppose you know what kind of mood I'm killing, do you?" Icecloud asked, somewhat hopefully. She wasn't extremely close to Hazeltail, but she was very well-liked by the majority of the clans. Plus, she was Mousewhisker's sister, which could possibly come in handy.

The gray and white she-cat looked caught off guard. "Excitement, of course. Don't you remember how you felt during your apprentice ceremony?"

_Apprentice ceremony? Wha- _"Cats of ThunderClan," Bramblestar started, "I called you here today for one of the most impotent ceremonies a leader can make: the making of new apprentices. Snowkit, Dewkit, and Amberkit, you are all six moons old and are ready to become apprentices of ThunderClan."

Icecloud glanced back and saw the three kits of Cloudtail and Brightheart grouped together, looking ready to burst with excitement. Icecloud immediately let her guard down, and felt the sickening sensation in her stomach dissolve. _Of course it's an apprentice ceremony. Brightheart was talking about it during the dawn patrol the other day. _Her once frazzled nerves now soothed by the realization, she allowed her muscles to relax so that she could enjoy the ceremony. And so that Rosepetal would stop trying to dissect her mind.

Bramblestar started with Snowkit first. "Snowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw. Your mentor will be," Bramblestar paused and let his amber orbs roam the camp, "Blossomfall. I hope Blossomfall will pass down all she knows on to you."

Rosepetal gasped with delight from beside Icecloud, momentarily forgetting her suspicions. "Aw, Blossomfall got her first apprentice!" Icecloud couldn't stop grinning as the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat made her way over to Snowpaw. From the looks of it, neither could Blossomfall. _Good for her. She deserves an apprentice. _

"Blossomfall," Bramblestar continued. "You are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Hazeltail," Hazeltail puffed out her chest at this. "And you have shown yourself to be bold and daring. You will be the mentor of Snowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Blossomfall bent her head down to touch noses with Snowpaw, who after a second of hesitation, did the same.

_How ironic that Bramblestar mentions how bold and daring Blossomfall is, _Icecloud thought to herself. _Considering how reserved and mellow Snowpaw is. He almost seems like a bit of a scardy-mouse. _Icecloud chuckled inwardly. _Poor boy, knowing Blossomfall she'll probably force him out of his comfort zone. _

Bramblestar continued with Dewpaw's ceremony, who was given Toadstep as a mentor. Rosepetal wrinkled her muzzle when her brother was selected to mentor the dark gray tom. "Poor Dewpaw, with Toadstep's teaching, he's going to end up moving like a lop-sided badger!"

"Toadstep isn't _that_ bad," Icecloud reasoned. "He's a pretty decent hunter, and he's fast too!" She gasped when a new thought popped in her head. "What if Bramblestar picked Blossomfall and Toadstep to be mentors because he knew they like each other, and he's giving them a reason to spend more time together?"

Rosepetal's dark green eyes widened. "Oh, yuck!"

"_Shh_!" Thornclaw hissed from in front of the duo. "There's a ceremony going on!" Icecloud shot the older warrior a dirty look in return, but didn't verbally respond.

Finally, it came time for Amberpaw to be apprenticed. The young gray and white she-cat sat before Bramblestar, practically quivering with excitement. Icecloud smiled, amused, as Bramblestar started her ceremony. "Amberkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Amberpaw. Your mentor will be Mousewhisker. I hope Mousewhisker will pass down all he knows on to you."

"Mousewhisker," Hazeltail gasped quietly, grinning like the proud sister she was. Icecloud felt a lump start to form in the back of her throat when Mousewhisker stood up from beside Birchfall, and padded confidently towards his new apprentice. _Don't think about him Icecloud, just don't. Focus on Bramblestar, or Smokefoot, but not Mousewhisker. _Easier said than done.

"Mousewhisker, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Spiderleg, and you have shown yourself to be creative and brave. You will be the mentor of Amberpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

As soon as the last mentor-and-apprentice pair touched noses, the clan took up the traditional chant. "Snowpaw, Dewpaw, Amberpaw! Snowpaw, Dewpaw, Amberpaw!" Icecloud joined in, although her previous enthusiasm had been slightly dashed. As soon as the chant ended Hazeltail darted over to Mousewhisker, Berrynose right behind her. Hazeltail congratulated her gray and white brother, and by the looks of it, Berrynose was teasing him. The scene brought the slightest of smiles to Icecloud's face.

It was no secret that the three siblings were incredibly close to each other, and even to their half-siblings, Rosepetal and Toadstep. They reminded Icecloud of her own kin; all of Dustpelt and Ferncloud's kits were close. To them, family meant everything.

Rosepetal nudged Icecloud's shoulder, jerking her out of her thoughts. The pretty white she-cat glanced at Rosepetal, who simply said, "Follow me." Without waiting to see if Icecloud would actually obey the order, Rosepetal stood to her paws and padded out of camp. Icecloud sighed and reluctantly followed her. _She's going to find out sooner or later, might as well just comply. _

This was going to be interesting.

**Rebel**

"Alright, spit it out." Rosepetal ordered once they were away from the camp. "You've been acting strange all morning, and I want to know why." _Ohh, the perks of having a nosey best friend. _

"So just because I wake up in a cheerful mood, that means I've been acting strange all morning?" Icecloud asked, sarcastically. "Isn't that a bit overdramatic?"

Rosepetal didn't look amused by the white she-cat's stubbornness. "You tripped over your own paws three times during the patrol with Foxleap and Ivypool; you kept staring off into space daydreaming about StarClan knows what; you looked ready to hurl during the meeting, up until Hazeltail told you what it was called for; and you ate a blackbird this morning."

Icecloud opened her jaws to call Rosepetal a stalker, but her last comment made her pause. "Wait, was there something wrong with that blackbird? It tasted amazing!" _Why don't I eat those more often? _

Rosepetal regarded her best friend wearily. "Icecloud. You've hated the taste of blackbird ever since you were kitted."

_Oh. Right. I must've forgot. My bad. _Inwardly Icecloud was praying that StarClan would be merciful and send a hawk to swoop her off the ground and into the sky. Hawks had never interrogated her, or looked at her like she had just committed a crime. "I'm trying to branch out?" Icecloud offered, giving a weak shrug of her shoulders. She hardly looked convening. _StarClan, I'm a terrible liar!_

"Icecloud, you're the worst liar in the entire clan."

"What does it matter to you anyways?" Icecloud snapped, frustration mounting up inside her. She didn't have the most patience; as a matter of fact, it seemed like Birchfall was the only kit to have _not_ inherited Dustpelt's infamous temper. Icecloud was just the best at concealing hers.

However Rosepetal also had a very thin line of patience, thanks to Spiderleg, and growled. "Because I know you're hiding something, and we never hide anything from each other! We're _best friends_, or have you forgotten?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten!" Icecloud exclaimed.

"Then _tell me_ what's going on," Rosepetal insisted. "Is it Mousewhisker, did you say something you didn't mean to, are you feeling okay-"

"I'm _fine_, Rosepetal," Icecloud groaned. _Can't she take a hint?_

Rosepetal huffed and glared into the forest, green eyes scorching. "Obviously you're not." A pause. "Wait a minute, this doesn't have anything to do with that ShadowClan tom, does it? Smokefoot?" Icecloud couldn't wipe the horror off her face before Rosepetal saw it, and it was a dead giveaway.

The creamy-colored she-cat's jaw dropped. "Icecloud, please tell me that you only looked horrified because you were disgusted, and not because I'm right!"

"If you didn't want to know then you shouldn't have kept prying!" Icecloud snapped hotly, turning around and marching straight back to the camp. The sound of pawsteps alerted her that Rosepetal was still following her.

"I-I'm sorry," Rosepetal stammered, clearly caught off guard. "It's just, I wasn't actually being serious when I asked if it had anything to do with Smokefoot, I was only joking. I didn't think that would really be the problem!"

"There isn't a problem!" Icecloud insisted.

Rosepetal ignored her and carried on. "Oh StarClan, what happened at the gathering last night? When I overheard that he had been selected to attend it that night, I thought you might talk to him but… but what in the name of StarClan is going on between you two?!"

_Oh for the love of- _"I'm meeting up with him tonight!" Icecloud finally snarled, spinning around to look fiercely at the she-cat pressuring her. "There, I told you, are you happy now?!"

"You're meeting up with- of course I'm not happy!" Rosepetal shouted, her temper returning once more. "Icecloud, you're breaking the warrior code!"

"Since when does the warrior code say I can't have friendships from other clans?" Icecloud challenged.

The dark green-eyed she-cat fixed Icecloud with a hard stare. "You're allowed to have friendships Icecloud, but being mates with a tom from another clan is a totally different matter."

Icecloud gasped, exasperated. "Mates?! Rosepetal are you even listening to yourself? I like _Mousewhisker_, remember? Besides, this will only be the third time I've ever even spoken to him; don't you think-" Icecloud stopped when Rosepetal's expression remained the same. _She really doesn't believe me. _

"Look me in the eye and swear on StarClan that you don't find Smokefoot attractive," Rosepetal growled.

Icecloud looked away and fixed her brilliant blue gaze on a nearby stream. "I never said he wasn't attractive…"

"That's where it starts, Icecloud." Rosepetal said firmly. "First you think they're attractive, then you find yourself _attracted to them_, and the next think you know your head over paws in love with them."

The pretty white warrior scoffed. "That isn't always how it works. I've found plenty of toms attractive, and I've never fallen for them."

"You've never agreed to go behind your clan's back and meet up with them," Rosepetal pointed out. Icecloud opened her jaws to retort, but her mind failed her. What could she say? Unfortunately, Rosepetal had a point.

Icecloud continued to stare at the stream and half-hoped that Rosepetal would take the hint and leave her alone, but instead the creamy-colored she-cat padded over to her side and nudged her shoulder with her muzzle. "You know, you're the last cat I ever expected to have this conversation with."

"Why? Because I'm _perfect_?" Icecloud spat the word like it was crowfood in her mouth. Rosepetal looked taken back.

"No, because you're sensible." Rosepetal tilted her head to the side. "But that's not the first time you've reacted harshly to being "perfect". What's up with that? Does it bother you that much that cats think you're perfect?" A frown traced Rosepetal's lips. "Most cats would take that as a compliment."

"Of course it bothers me!" Icecloud exclaimed. "I'm not perfect and I'm not incapable of making mistakes!"

"You don't say."

"Why does everyone think I am?" Icecloud demanded.

Rosepetal shrugged. "Because you've never done anything huge. Foxleap is the clan prankster, Berrynose and Birchfall were caught by a ShadowClan patrol, Hollyleaf unleashed a huge secret, Ivypool, along with several others, trained in the Dark Forest, heck,_ I've_ gotten into fights with the elders before. But you?" Rosepetal shook her head. "You've never stepped out of line once. Not until now, that is."

Icecloud's throat ran dry as Rosepetal laid down the cold, hard facts in front of her face. Her best friend was right; compared to the rest of the clan, she must seem like a gift from StarClan.

Rosepetal must have seen the disheartened expression on her face, because her features' softened and she laid her tail on her back. "I never knew it bothered you so much."

"Neither did I, until this whole thing with Dustpelt and Mousewhisker went down," Icecloud confessed. "I don't think I even realized that everyone thought I was so perfect until you pointed it out the other day. But after that I kept noticing what cats said about me, or how they acted around me…" she sighed.

"Cats who are perfect are expected to never make mistakes. They're expected to put their own emotions and opinions aside for the good of the clan, and to be completely selfless, and Rosepetal, _I'm not_."

"Nobody truly is," Rosepetal said softly, but Icecloud detected a note of unsureness in her voice.

The blue-eyed she-cat sighed again and buried her head in Rosepetal's fur. "I don't even know how I feel about Smokefoot," She admitted. "I feel like I love him, but surely it isn't possible to fall in love with a tom after speaking to him only twice?"

"It could be one of those 'love at first sight' situations," Rosepetal offered weakly.

"Do you honestly believe in those?" Icecloud asked.

Rosepetal sighed. "I don't know, Ice. Yes? No? Maybe? I guess it depends on the cats."

"Well, I'm sure that every she-cat who looks at Smokefoot falls in love with him instantly." Icecloud peeled herself away from Rosepetal and sat down, and fixed her gaze on her paws.

Rosepetal sat down as well, and smiled gently at her. "And yet, out of all the she-cats that he could have, he asked _you _to meet up with him. That must count for something, right?"

Icecloud's heart fluttered inside her chest, and she looked at Rosepetal, hope shining in her ice blue eyes. "Do you really think so?"

"I think it's worth a shot." Rosepetal said, breaking out into a grin. "Now, as your best friend I absolutely cannot condone this, so tonight I will be standing guard _in front of the camp_ so that I can stop you when you try to leave." Icecloud understood immediately.

"That's a shame. I guess I'll just have to stay in ThunderClan _all night long_, and miss my meeting."

"Guess so," Rosepetal agreed seriously. The pair looked at each other for several seconds before bursting into a fit of giggles.

And for just a few moments, everything went back to normal.

**Rebel**

Icecloud didn't move a muscle until she was absolutely certain that she was the only one awake. To her right Foxleap's chest rose and fell lightly, and to her left Rosepetal's nest was empty, as she and Brackenfur stood guard that night. She lifted her head slightly off her paws and scanned the rest of her clanmates, before nodding to herself. They were all fast asleep.

The white warrior stood carefully to her paws and stepped over Lionblaze's sleeping form, tiptoed between Toadstep, Graystripe, and Poppyfrost, and bounded over Spiderleg's body, landing softly on the other side. Icecloud glanced back and smirked to herself. _Atta girl. If only Dustpelt could have seen that. He would never treat me like a kit again. _

Remembering Rosepetal's warning from earlier, Icecloud decided to not sneak out of the camp entrance, but through the dirt place instead. She wrinkled her nose as the stench of dirt hit her, but pushed stubbornly through the brambles and branches until she was breathing fresh air once again. _Thank StarClan!_

With nothing in her way now Icecloud darted across ThunderClan's territory swiftly, making sure to avoid any branches that may _crack _and give her presence away.

But the journey to the ShadowClan border was an easy one, much to Icecloud's relief. She had been paranoid that one of her clanmates would wake up and notice her empty nest, and somehow guess that she was meeting with a ShadowClan warrior. _That's mouse-brained, _Icecloud told herself as she paused to smooth down any stray tufts of fur with her tongue. _Only Rosepetal knows where you're going, and she wouldn't tell a soul. You're just being paranoid. _

Once she was satisfied with her appearance Icecloud stepped out of the ferns that had been concealing her scent, and looked around her surroundings for Smokefoot. _Where is he? _She wondered desperately. _Oh StarClan, what if he doesn't show up at all, and this was just some prank to humiliate me even more? _But Icecloud had seen the earnestly in Smokefoot's dark blue gaze. There was no way anyone could fake such a sincere emotion, not even-

"Bright-eyes?"

Icecloud's bright blue eyes widened when Smokefoot stepped out of the shadows, in all his glory. _He actually showed up! _The pretty white she-cat took a moment to let her eyes rake over the ShadowClan tom's body, noting his muscular build and dark gray pelt. But as always, it was his silverpelt-colored eyes that captivated Icecloud's attention. _How are they so dark, and yet so blue?_

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," Smokefoot admitted as he stepped closer to Icecloud. He flashed her an arrogant look. "Pretty lizard-brained thought, huh? I mean, what she-cat could ever resist _me_?"

"Blossomfall." The answer slipped between her lips before Icecloud even knew what she was saying. Smokefoot looked caught off guard, and tipped his head questioningly to the side. Icecloud smiled a little and explained, "Blossomfall _can't stand_ toms like you, who think they're just StarClan's gift to the world. She absolutely hates Berrynose."

Smokefoot stared at Icecloud for a couple heart-beats, and she started to panic (_Oh StarClan, did I say something wrong?!) _when he suddenly burst into laughter, catching her off guard.

"Oh StarClan, Bright-eyes," Smokefoot laughed. "You're a riot, you know that?" Icecloud cracked a smile and butterflies started to flutter around in her stomach.

"It's been mentioned a couple times," Icecloud said, shrugging modestly.

"Well," Smokefoot started, after his laughter died down, "it needs to be said a _couple more times_."

**Rebel**

"So this Blossomfall she-cat; she sounds like a fun character," Smokefoot said, as the pair traveled around the outskirts of ShadowClan. They had both rolled thoroughly around in pine needles to mask their scents, just in case some curious apprentice decided to explore ShadowClan's deserted territory. "What do I need to do in order to have a conversation with her?"

Icecloud eyed her companion wearily. "Do you just go searching for trouble?" She asked.

"Only when trouble fails to present itself," Smokefoot promised. "Which isn't very often, mind you. There's chaos all around us. You just have to be insane enough to see it."

Icecloud blinked. "How… poetic?"

Smokefoot shrugged. "It's the truth. So, about Blossomfall," Icecloud cut him off with a groan.

"Ugh, you're relentless! Look, if you want to start a fight so badly, I can introduce her to you at the next gathering."

"That would be great! Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Icecloud shook her head and sighed, opting for a change of topic. "We've talked about my clanmates, but you haven't said much about yours." Icecloud glanced curiously at the smoke-colored tom. "What's living in ShadowClan like?"

For the first time that night, a genuine smile played across Smokefoot's lips. "It's pretty amazing," he meowed. "There isn't a clan like ShadowClan, where cats wear the shadows like a second pelt, or move so confidently in the dead of night. And when we're in battle we're the fiercest things you've ever seen, it's unbelievable. Of course, you've been in battle with us, so that shouldn't come as such a surprise."

A shiver shot down Icecloud's spine. "ShadowClan sounds pretty unnerving," she meowed. Smokefoot grinned and nudged her with his shoulder.

"Nah, that's just what we want you to think. Secretly, we're all just a bunch of softies."

Icecloud raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that."

"Well… maybe not softies, per say. But we don't slaughter our kits and sacrifice them to StarClan, or murder cats for the fun of it."

"Good to know."

"My point is," Smokefoot started, "that we like to have fun just as much as the next clan." He shot her a smirk. "Maybe even more."

"Oh?" Icecloud prompt, shooting him her own grin. "Do tell."

"If you insist. This morning me and Crowfrost were-"

"Crowfrost?" Icecloud interrupted, grinning slyly. "Is that your best friend?"

Smokefoot looked disgusted. "Only she-cats call each other 'best friend'; Crowfrost is my wingman, my pal, my buddy, but we are **not **_best friends._ How dare you imply such a thing!"

Icecloud rolled her eyes, although she couldn't wipe the smile off her features. "I sincerely apologize. Please continue with your oh-so-fascinating story."

"Ahem, so like I was saying, me and Crowfrost were bored, and Dawnpelt was out of camp so we couldn't bother her-"

"Why would you want to bother Dawnpelt?" Icecloud asked curiously. She wasn't very close to the pretty, creamy-colored she-cat, but she did consider them friends, and Foxleap and her were quite good friends.

"Because she's fun to bother," Smokefoot said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Stop interrupting!"

"Now, as I was saying before I was _so rudely interrupted_," _he and Foxleap would get along wonderfully, _"Dawnpelt was out of camp, and we had to find something else to do. So we went to find Scorchfur, our other _buddy_." Icecloud smiled, amused, when Smokefoot stressed the word. "But _he _was busy sharing tongues with Snowbird, who he isn't mates with yet but totally should be. Then Crowfrost and I started complaining about how Scorchfur hadn't asked her to be his mate yet, even though it's clear they're both obsessed with each other, and then we got the brilliant idea to give Scorchfur a nudge in the right direction." Smokefoot grinned deviously.

"What did you do?" Icecloud deadpanned, already feeling sorry for Scorchfur.

Smokefoot proceeded to tell her how he and Crowfrost somehow managed to _kidnap _Snowbird when Scorchfur was distracted, and haul her deep into the pine forest, and toss her into a ditch that they had in their territory.

"You threw your clanmate into a ditch?!" Icecloud cried, incredulously.

Smokefoot rolled his dark blue eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look. We do it to the kits all the time."

"You **what**?!"

"Not as a form of torture or anything!" Smokefoot said quickly. "Sometimes- we just- ugh, look, my point is that it's a really shallow ditch, and Snowbird could have escaped whenever she wanted to."

"So then why didn't she?" Icecloud asked skeptically.

"… Because we told her that if she did, we would fill her nest with wet moss and fire ants."

"You would fill her nest with… what exactly were you hoping this would accomplish?"

Smokefoot huffed. "We told Scorchfur that Snowbird fell in a ditch and needed his help getting out of it, and we _thought_ that when Scorchfur rescued her, he would feel like a hero or something and work up the courage to ask her to be his mate, but… Scorchfur didn't believe us. So we ended up _dragging him_ out of camp like we did Snowbird, and took him to the ditch, and when he asked Snowbird why she didn't just climb out on her own, she told him about how we threatened her, and kidnapped her in the first place, and it sort of escalated from there."

"So… your plan failed? He didn't ask her?"

"Nope."

"Huh. Well how did it all end?"

"Rowanstar sentenced Crowfrost and me to the dawn patrol every day for the next moon. And we have to destroy every red ant pile that we know of."

Icecloud stared at Smokefoot for a second… then two… then five… and then she couldn't contain herself any longer. She erupted into a fit of laughter so hard that her stomach hurt, and she was struggling to breathe properly. Smokefoot watched her, somewhat hurt that she wasn't taking his punishment more seriously.

"I'm hurt that you're not taking my punishment more seriously."

Icecloud gasped in between her bouts of laughter. "Oh StarClan, that's the best story I've ever heard!"

Smokefoot raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I've done way worse stuff then that just last moon. Just how boring is ThunderClan?"

Icecloud, after composing herself once more, replied with a shrug, "it's not that ThunderClan's boring, it's just… I never thought that ShadowClan cats, much less _highly respected ShadowClan warriors_, went around matchmaking, or bothered their clanmates just for fun, or…" Icecloud trailed off and when she looked back at Smokefoot, she saw he was smiling knowingly.

"You didn't think we did anything but start fights and train for battle, right? That we're the blood-thirsty clan who couldn't possibly know how to have fun."

Icecloud looked sheepishly at her paws. "Sorry, I-"

"No, don't apologize." Smokefoot cut her off. He stopped walking completely which worried Icecloud for a second, until he gestured for her to do the same. Hesitantly she sat down beside him, and looked at him with curious bright blue eyes. "You know," he started, "my mother used to tell me this story, about how back in the old clan territories, there was a rumor that the cold north wind of the mountains chilled ShadowClan warriors' hearts."

"That's horrible," Icecloud said, wrinkling her muzzle.

"I'm not so sure it is," Smokefoot disagreed. "Because the cats that think we're all just a bunch of ambitious tyrants don't know us, and I think it works to our advantage. They misjudge us, so when the time comes and we prove them otherwise, we leave them with their jaws hanging and speechless."

Icecloud's vibrant blue gaze clouded over with thought. "You mean… you _like _being misrepresented?"

"Well, yeah, I guess." He flashed her a grin and laid down. "Basically."

The pretty white she-cat held his gaze for a moment, before snorting and looking away, eyebrows furrowed together. _That doesn't make any sense at all. _

Smokefoot's grin slowly faded away until he was just staring at Icecloud, curiosity eating at his gut_. _Finally he said, "You know, I'm a pretty popular cat." Icecloud glanced back at him, somewhat taken back, and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Uh, congratulations?"

Smokefoot smiled brightly and continued. "And when you're a pretty popular cat, you pick up a few things here and there; almost like powers. I, for example, am excellent at reading others." He rested his head on his paws and grinned at her. "I bet I could read you."

Icecloud didn't know where this conversation was going or why, but she couldn't keep a smile from creeping up on her features. She faced Smokefoot once again and gave him her full attention. "Take your best shot."

Smokefoot was completely silent for a few seconds, looking Icecloud up and down, before his dark blue orbs paused on her face. His eyes narrowed and a look of concentration masked his features, nearly surprising the white she-cat; she didn't know Smokefoot could look so focused. And then the aura of seriousness disappeared and Smokefoot's trademark smirk returned. "Alright, I've got you nailed."

"So you say."

"First off is your personality," Smokefoot started. "For the most part you're an easy-going she-cat, content with just going with the flow. You don't like unnecessary confrontation or disorder, so when you're given an order, you execute it as perfectly as possible. Considering you have three brothers, all from separate litters, odds are that you've always been the responsible one." Slowly Icecloud's smile started to fade away; Smokefoot was getting a little too close to the truth for comfort.

"You're a pretty social cat – most ThunderClanners are – so you're okay with large crowds, but there are times when you probably want to be left alone. You're a team player and easy to work with. You're not much of a leader, more of a follower."

Then Smokefoot's eyes narrowed again. "Lately your clanmates have been getting on your nerves. I'm going to take a random guess and say that they're still treating you differently because of Dustpelt's blow-up, right?" Icecloud nodded mutely. "And now that they're treating you differently you're starting to notice things you didn't notice before. You're starting to pick up on little things, and it's aggregating the life out of you." Smokefoot tilted his head. "No one completely understands you, do they Bright-eyes?"

Icecloud couldn't look him in the eye anymore. She looked away, settling her brilliant blue eyes on a rather large pine tree, and bit her lip. She heard pine needles rustle and a few heart-beats later, Smokefoot was sitting down beside her. There pelts brushed and Icecloud found herself leaning into him. "You got all of that just by looking at me?" She asked quietly.

Smokefoot shrugged. "Not all of it, no. I guessed a couple things, and honestly, I'd been picking up on it all night. But for the most part, yeah."

"That's a pretty impressive power," Icecloud whispered.

"Sometimes it can be more of a curse."

Icecloud blinked and looked at him, but Smokefoot's midnight blue eyes were trained on the pine tree in front of them. She decided not to push it, and also returned her gaze to the tree. For a while, neither of them said anything, content with the eerie silence. Eventually Smokefoot asked, "So, what don't your clanmates understand about you?"

The blue-eyed she-cat hesitated as she thought back to her conversation with Rosepetal. Although she tried her best to understand Icecloud's irritation, she knew that Rosepetal didn't truly understand where she was coming from, or why it was such a big deal to her. _If my best friend doesn't understand me then what hope does Smokefoot have? _

"It's nothing."

"Obviously it's something. And it must really be frustrating you."

"What makes you say that?"

"You showed up tonight."

Icecloud blinked, and then time when she looked at Smokefoot, he was looking right back at her. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The smoky-gray tom shrugged. "Everything. You wouldn't have met up with a rival warrior in the dead of night if your life was full of sunshine and rainbows." Icecloud thought about that, and then sighed. _He has a point. _

"My clan thinks I'm perfect," she confessed in a whisper. "My clanmates don't even talk to me about certain topics because they think that, since I've never done anything majorly bad, I won't understand them, or where they're coming from."

Smokefoot seemed to be genuinely concerned and listening, so Icecloud continued. "The more I think about it the deeper it all seems to be. I'm not necessarily bothered by the fact that they think I'm perfect, but that they think I'm _pure. _Almost like a kit who hasn't had a chance to make mistakes."

"But you're not pure," Smokefoot said. "Or perfect." Icecloud shook her head.

"They treat me like I'm naive, like I won't understand anything." Icecloud huffed. "Whenever I preform a certain battle move they're shocked, like 'how can you perform such a bloody move'. Or when I'll make a joke that's just a little off-color, they stare at me like I've grown a second head. And yet when Foxleap does it, they laugh and roll their eyes because it's so typical of him."

"Have they always acted this way?" Smokefoot asked. His face had contorted into one of thought.

The pretty white warrior shook her head. "That's the thing; no, they haven't. Up until the Dark Forest Battle they treated me just like anyone else. They laughed and teased me, and didn't even blink when I executed a death blow. But after Dustpelt snapped, they started looking at me in a new light. I guess it's because Dustpelt said I wasn't ready or a mate, and that I was still so naive." Icecloud looked away bitterly. "It's not true of course, but he treated me like I was an apprentice fresh out of the nursery. My clanmates picked up on his opinion, and started seeing me the same way he does."

Icecloud tilted her head ever so slightly so that her head was buried in Smokefoot's chest, and inhaled the scent of pines and, oddly enough, an almost smoky scent. "They don't all treat me like that, of course. Rosepetal and Foxleap act like nothing ever happened, and so does Blossomfall. Rosepetal and I are helping Ivypool get with Foxleap, and she treats me like she would anyone else." Icecloud parted her jaws to release a yawn. "And Ferncloud hasn't changed, not a bit…"

"Hmm. Some of my clanmates treat me differently too, but that's a story for another night. You're exhausted."

Icecloud went to protest that she could stay awake for hours, but another yawn interrupted her. Smokefoot looked at her with amusement gleaming in his dark blue eyes and said, "You can go back to ThunderClan now if you want, but if you don't… I happen to know of this really great spot for camping out."

"I want to stay with you." The words were out before Icecloud had time to actually think her choices over, but she realized that even if she had thought it over, her mind wouldn't have changed. Smokefoot seemed to light up, and he stood to his paws and gestured for her to do the same.

"It's not too far away from here, but you look ready to pass out any second, so keep your pelt pressed to mine and I'll make sure you get there."

Icecloud hummed softly as she obeyed him. "Are you sure that isn't just your excuse so that our pelts can touch?" She teased. Smokefoot moaned dramatically.

"Oh no, you've caught onto my plan!" He smirked when Icecloud giggled.

As Smokefoot guided her to the spot he had in mind, she took that time to reflect over everything that'd happened that night. She had fun. The most fun she's had ever since Dustpelt screamed at her. And not once had Mousewhisker crossed her mind.

_Maybe there really is such thing as love at first sight._

**Rebel**

"Here we are," Smokefoot announced. "The best spot in all of ShadowClan."

Icecloud scanned their surroundings and had to admit that it was an impressive spot. It was a soft, grassy clearing surrounded by pine trees, ferns, and leafy bushes. Fireflies glided through the warm new-leaf air, flickering on and off. Icecloud noticed a few discarded nest shoved beneath the pines, and looked at Smokefoot questioningly. "I thought you said no one came here?"

"They don't," Smokefoot confirmed. He marched forward to a particularly grassy area and started pulling them up, and arranging them into a nest. "I doubt many of my clanmates have even ventured this far away from the camp."

"Then why are there so many nests?" She asked.

Smokefoot glanced back at her and grinned. "When we were apprentices, me and Crowfrost used to get angry at our mentors because we thought they were holding us back, and when no one took our complaints seriously we would get so fed up that we decided to rebel. We would declare to the entire camp that we were running away and never coming back, and then we would come here, and stake out. We never lasted very long because it got incredibly boring with no one to prank or bother, and Blackstar knew we would always come back, so he never sent any patrols after us.

"Eventually we got tired of running away, but we never forgot this spot. We still come down here sometimes and spend the night, just talking and exchanging stories or plots. It's refreshing."

Icecloud smirked when Smokefoot turned around again. _They are **so **best friends. _

"You sound like a pair of mates," Icecloud teased as she padded over to him. Smokefoot cuffed her playfully over the ear, and then continued working.

Soon the nest was completed, and Icecloud noted that it was a very comfortable nest. Especially when Smokefoot climbed in beside her. "Uh, you don't mind sharing a nest, do you?" The question took Icecloud by surprise.

"Of course not. Why would I?"

"It's just…" Smokefoot trailed off and looked away, almost _bashfully_. "I don't want to mess tonight up."

For a second Icecloud thought he was joking, but when Smokefoot couldn't look her in the eye, she realized that he was being serious. She couldn't help but laugh. "Are you serious? _Now_ you're worried about screwing up tonight?"

Smokefoot finally looked back at her and smiled almost sheepishly, and when he did Icecloud swore her heart melted right where she was standing. _It should not be possible for a tom to go from looking like the most handsome thing in the world, to downright adorable. Smokefoot is illegal. _

"Honestly," he started. "I've been worrying about it all night. I figured that if I messed up, you wouldn't agree to see me again…"

Icecloud's heart –which had apparently _not_ melted – stopped beating. "Y-you… want to do this again?"

This time it was Smokefoot who looked shocked. "Are you kidding? Of course I do!"

"Why?" Icecloud breathed. When Smokefoot narrowed his eyes questioningly, she went on. "You could have any she-cat you want, and yet, you asked me to meet up with you. _Why me_?"

Slowly, a smile spread across Smokefoot's handsome features. Not a smirk, not a grin, but a genuine smile. It made Icecloud's heart – which had apparently _not_ ceased beating – to flutter madly in her chest, like a caged animal. But nice.

"Bright-eyes, you're exhausted. Stop asking questions and just go to sleep."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to avoid the question; I'll tell you why another night."

He was right and Icecloud knew it. Her eyelids kept fluttering shut before she forced them to snap back open, and her mind was becoming foggy with the urge to sleep. It was well past midnight and if she didn't go to sleep now, then there was no way she would get up early enough to sneak back into ThunderClan. But she wasn't ready to surrender to sleep just yet. "I never agreed to meet up with you again."

Smokefoot chuckled. It was a wonderful sound that brought a dreamy look to Icecloud's face. "I think your earlier reaction was enough reassurance. Now, sleep."

The pretty white she-cat sighed and laid her head on her paws, finally giving in. Smokefoot rested his head on her back and twined their tails, and Icecloud cocked her head so that it was nuzzled into Smokefoot's chest. "Promise you'll answer my question the next time I ask it?"

"I promise."

"Swear it on StarClan?"

"Go. To. Sleep."

"Fine, alright." Icecloud purred when Smokefoot rasped his tongue over her ears, lovingly. "Goodnight Smokefoot."

"Sweet dreams… Icecloud."

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**AN - For whatever reason I want to cry every time I read the last couple sentences. Maybe it's because that's the only time he calls her Icecloud during the entire chapter, and he does it hesitantly? I don't know, but anyways, I felt the need to say that I can relate to Icecloud a lot during this chapter. I'm a good kid who obeys her parents and teachers, makes good grades, and gets along with everyone. Because of this people who don't actually know me tend to assume that I'm a "perfect" kid, who can do no wrong. I've been under this assumption ever since the fifth grade, and it gets more and more annoying to hear every time someone says it. I'm in high school right now, where it becomes clear if you're a good kid or a bad kid, and while I fall very clearly in the former category, that doesn't make me perfect, much to the popular belief. I'm over-dramatic, suck at math, a perfectionist, and sometimes I'm not a very sympathetic person, especially when people do things that I deem stupid. Not to mention some of my best friends define the word 'off-colored'. **

**I'm not totally sure where I'm getting at, just that I felt the need to point out that it's not all black and white. It's not "you're perfect" or "you're flawed". No one, no matter how 'good' they are, is perfect. That's just life. **

**Like I said, I don't know what point I'm trying to make or why, just that I feel like I need to defend Icecloud. Believe me when I say that she has a very legitimate reason for feeling bothered by the whole 'perfect' thing. **

**Well, I don't know what else to say here, so I guess I got my mini-rant out. On a brighter note, I absolutely LOVED writing this chapter, and it's my favorite one thus far. I hope you guys loved it as much as I do. **

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**Question of the Day**

**What are some ways Icecloud and Rosepetal could try to get Foxleap and Ivypool together?**

**#No, seriously people, I need ideas.**


	7. Chapter 5 - I Think I'm in Love

**Hey KatieKats! How's your summer going?**

**Funny story, this chapter was actually supposed to be posted sometime yesterday afternoon, but at around one o'clock we lost power in a thunderstorm, and I couldn't upload the finished product. I didn't have power for a couple hours and… well, the good news is I got to spend some time with my family, and they seem like nice people =) The bad news is I don't think I'm going to survive the power shortage when the zombie apocalypse comes )=**

**Anyway, this chapter is probably my new favorite. I haven't had this much fun writing a chapter in a while; turns out that ShadowClan is amazing. I knew they were my favorites for a reason!**

**If you enjoy this chapter then please leave a review, and my secretary will PM you with my response. And don't forget to answer the Question of the Day =) **

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**Disclaimer - I, KatieK101, do not own Icy or "Warriors". If I did then Icecloud would not have died in BStorm.**

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** "Tonight we're going hard, just like the world is ours, we're tearing it apart, you know we're superstars, we are who we are." - Kesha **

**Smokefoot's POV**

Smokefoot widened his jaws to let a yawn escape his body, before arching his back into a stretch, enjoying the rippling sensation he got as he stretched his muscles. He blinked the sleep out of his dark blue eyes and turned around to lick a couple of stray tufts of fur down, smoothing them over with his tongue.

Once he had finished his morning routine he finally glanced at the snowy-pelted she-cat nestled beside him. Smokefoot had been worried that his morning routine would wake up Icecloud, but thankfully she seemed to be a heavy sleeper. She hadn't even twitched an ear.

Smokefoot glanced to the sky and frowned. It was still dark, but dawn would be upon them soon. A part of Smokefoot knew that he needed to wake Icecloud up so that she could return to ThunderClan before someone noticed her absence, but another part of Smokefoot, a much larger part, was content to leave her be. He wasn't ready for her to leave yet. _Sheesh, _Smokefoot thought, grimacing. _What is this she-cat doing to me? _

There had been countless times when Smokefoot had courted another she-cat, and left the next morning without a second thought. But with Icecloud… he never wanted to leave her side.

The dark smoky-gray tom sighed loudly. Although he hated it, he knew that Icecloud needed to get back to her clan. If Dustpelt was really as overprotective of her as Icecloud claimed then he would surely be suspicious if she wasn't in her nest when he woke up. With that in mind Smokefoot leaned down and gently nuzzled Icecloud's ear.

"Hey Bright-eyes, it's time to- _hey!_" Smokefoot leapt back just in time to avoid getting clawed by the pretty white she-cat. He stared at her, a mixture of absolutely dumbfounded and livid. "What in the name of StarClan was that for?! You nearly sliced my ear off my head!"

Icecloud blinked her bright blue eyes rapidly. "Smokefoot?" She asked uneasily.

The ShadowClan warrior laughed dryly. "Yeah, it's me, Bright-eyes."

Icecloud's unsureness faded into irritation, and she groaned loudly. "Oh StarClan, I did it again?" Smokefoot's dark blue eyes widened.

"_Again_?!" He cried. "You mean this happens frequently? How do your clanmates wake you up for the dawn patrol?!"

Icecloud smiled sheepishly. "I'm, uh, usually not sent on the dawn patrol. I'm not much of a morning cat."

"You don't say," Smokefoot said sarcastically, although his annoyance had long since faded away. Curse Icecloud and her adorable smile!

Icecloud glanced at the sky and narrowed her eyes. "The sky is still dark. I didn't wake you up, did I? Foxleap swears I talk in my sleep."

Smokefoot shook his head. "Nope. Unlike _some cats_ who will remain unnamed, I actually _am_ a morning cat. Back at ShadowClan I'm usually one of the first ones awake."

Icecloud stared at Smokefoot as if he'd grown a second head. "You're crazier than I thought." Smokefoot frowned, about to point out that at least _he_ didn't shred cats just for waking him up, before Icecloud asked, "So then why did you wake me up? Is something wrong?"

"Dawn will be here soon, and I figured that if Dustpelt woke up, and saw you were missing…" Smokefoot trailed off so that Icecloud could work out the rest for herself, and judging from the horrified expression on her features, she did.

"Fox-dung!" She cried, jumping to her paws. "He'll question me for sure!"

Smokefoot watched in mild amusement as Icecloud scrambled to make herself look presentable, and not like she spent the night in ShadowClan territory. "Need some help?" He offered, jokingly. Icecloud's only response was to toss her companion a quick glare.

Using a more serious tone he asked, "You can find your way back, right? I can show you the way if you forgot."

Smokefoot hoped that the pretty white she-cat would take him up on his offer, but to his disappointment, she shook her head. "No, I can remember. But thanks for the offer," she added hastily. Icecloud looked a little out of place after she finished grooming her pelt. She looked at him almost questioningly, like she didn't know what to do next. Smokefoot understood her silent plea and grinned.

"If I try to nuzzle your ear again, will you claw me?"

Icecloud laughed softly; she had such a musical laugh. Smokefoot wanted nothing more than to make her laugh all day long, to never let her stop smiling, but he knew that wasn't an option. Instead he padded over to her side and nuzzled her ear, quite relieved when Icecloud only purred. "Remember to roll around in something before you sneak back into your camp." He reminded her.

"Right, got it." Icecloud replied. Smokefoot was pleased when she looked reluctant to pull away from him, and he swiftly licked her cheek.

"I'll find a way to talk to you so that we can set up our next meeting." Smokefoot said, hoping that he was the image of confidence and did not portray how hesitant he was to say such a simple sentence. Try as he might, he could banish the idea that Icecloud's conscious would win her over and talk her out of meeting with him.

But much to his delight, Icecloud did not protest or tell him that this was only a fling, as he had done to so many she-cats in the past. Instead she smiled a sort of smile that melted his heart and brought a genuine smile to his own features. "Okay," she whispered, still smiling that smile.

Smokefoot knew that Icecloud had to leave soon, but he couldn't stop himself from leaning over and nuzzling her neck, and a second later she buried her head into his chest. "I'll see you soon, Bright-eyes." He murmured into her ear.

Icecloud mumbled something he didn't quite catch as she pulled away from his chest, but the smile on her face told him all he needed to know.

**Rebel**

Smokefoot strolled casually towards the camp entrance just as the sun started peeking above the mountains, bathing the pine forest with a warm golden glow. He spotted Owlclaw and Ratscar standing guard and frowned lightly, and wished that there had been at least _one _she-cat present, so that he could just flirt his way into camp without being interrogated. But Smokefoot knew from personal experience that flirting had no effect on Ratscar. However, if he had Crowfrost with him, he might have been able to get past Owlclaw.

See, Crowfrost had no problem getting _close _and _personal _when he flirted shamelessly, and therefore terrified the life out of Owlclaw, who went out of his way to avoid the black and white tom. The mere mention of his name could make Owlclaw paranoid, and Smokefoot loved when the three of them were selected to patrol together. It made for an entertaining time.

Crowfrost could get away with murdering a kit if he had to explain his motives to Owlclaw.

However his partner-in-crime was not with him, and Smokefoot had no power over Ratscar nor Owlclaw, so he braced himself to be questioned. _It could be worst, _Smokefoot told himself. _I could be dealing with Ferretclaw. _

"Well look who finally decided to grace us with his presence," Ratscar greeted his former apprentice when he got close enough.

"I live here," Smokefoot said bluntly.

"You were gone all night again," Ratscar pointed out. "You spend more time sleeping in that forest then you do sleeping in a nest."

"Not true," Smokefoot protested. "I have a very comfortable nest in the forest, thank you very much."

Owlclaw wrinkled his muzzle. "Why do you smell like ferns?"

"Because I like the smell of ferns, so I decided to roll around in them." Smokefoot retorted easily. "Do you have a problem with that, Owlclaw?"

"So where were you last night?" Ratscar interrupted before Owlclaw could reply, curiosity sown clearly across his features. Smokefoot debated on telling the truth or telling a lie, because both were believable, before settling on the truth, simply because he was too tired to think of a lie.

"Promise to keep it between us toms?" Smokefoot asked, lowering his voice so that it was a whisper. Owlclaw rolled his eyes and Ratscar grunted, but both nodded, noncommittedly. "There was…" Smokefoot trailed off for dramatic effect before gasping, "A _she-cat_!"

"Ugh!" Ratscar growled in disgust. "Another fling? Smokefoot, you're shameless!"

"Just pick a she-cat a settle down already," Owlclaw agreed, wearing the same disgust as Ratscar.

Smokefoot sorted indigently and stuck his nose in the air, acting much like a snobby kittypet. "You're just jealous because the only cat who looks twice at you is _Crowfrost_."

"That's not true!" Owlclaw protested, much to the amusement of Smokefoot and Ratscar. "I have Blizzardpaw, and she's a great she-cat!"

Ratscar stopped chuckling immediately at looked at his friend with narrowed eyes. "Wait, _my apprentice_?!"

Owlclaw's eyes widened when he realized what he'd said and quickly tried to defend himself. "I-I mean, we're just friends, but she'll be made a warrior soon and I thought-"

"You thought _what_, exactly?" Ratscar demanded.

Smokefoot watched the show in front of him with a grin, although he couldn't say he blamed Owlclaw; Blizzardpaw was a _very _pretty she-cat indeed. _But she's not as pretty as Icecloud, _Smokefoot thought quickly, as an image of the pure white she-cat appeared in his mind. _She's gorgeous._

Still, the realization that he couldn't jump from she-cat to she-cat was a bit of a wakeup call. True, he never felt so strongly towards another she-cat as he did Icecloud, but still. He wasn't used to not being able to flirt with every she-cat who passed by, or arrange flings. If he continued to meet with Icecloud, would he have to stop that?

Smokefoot shook his head in an effort to clear it. _I'll worry about that later. _

Ratscar was still busy demanding answers out of Owlclaw, and Smokefoot was almost tempted to help the brown tabby tom escape. After all, Owlclaw _had been_ Smokefoot's first apprentice, and he would miss chatting with him if Ratscar killed him for thinking of a possible future with Blizzardpaw… but then again, this was also the perfect opportunity for Smokefoot to sneak into camp, unnoticed.

_Sorry Owlclaw, _Smokefoot thought as he slithered past the two toms. _But you were my apprentice – you'll be fine! Probably… _

Satisfied when neither Ratscar nor Owlclaw called him out and asked him anymore questions, Smokefoot trotted happily over to the Warriors' Den, where a certain black and white tom was still sleeping.

"Hey, wake up," Smokefoot muttered softly as he nudged Crowfrost's shoulder. "It's dawn."

"_Ugh_," Crowfrost groaned as he turned over on his side to see who had woken him up. He blinked when his frosty blue orbs landed on Smokefoot. "You're back," he noted, stating the obvious.

Smokefoot smirked. "And boy do I have a story to tell you."

Crowfrost _hummed _as he closed his eyes and snuggled deeper into his nest. "Tell me about it later." He mumbled. "Dawn is too early to be awake."

Smokefoot prodded his buddy (read: **NOT** best friend!) again, this time a little harder than the last. "You don't have a choice. We have to go on the dawn patrol for the _next moon_, remember?"

Crowfrost's eyes snapped open immediately as remembrance washed over him like a flood, and he groaned loudly, awaking a few cats, much to their annoyance. "I _hate_ Toadfoot!"

"I promise, the feeling is mutual," Toadfoot said, cuffing the black-and-white warrior's ear as he passed them, and prompted Crowfrost to shoot him a dirty look.

"Come on," Smokefoot meowed, nudging a reluctant Crowfrost to his paws. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back, and the sooner you can return to your nest."

"Liar." Crowfrost grumbled as he shook out his pelt and blinked the sleep from his eyes. "You'll force me to stay awake."

"Well," the smoke-colored tom reasoned. "I would be painfully bored if my partner-in-crime slept all day."

"I wouldn't sleep _all day_, just-"

"_Great StarClan_, do you two ever shut up?" Dawnpelt snapped as she stood to her paws and smoothed down a couple stray tufts of fur with her tongue. "I might as well go on the dawn patrol now that I'm awake!"

Crowfrost narrowed his frosty blue orbs, not displaying a shred of sympathy towards his "arch-rival". "Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here and catch up on your beauty sleep?" He asked with a mocking tone. "You could use it."

Dawnpelt gasped. "Lizard-face!"

"Fox-heart!"

Smokefoot sighed and shook his head. _This is going to take a while…_

**Rebel**

Somehow Smokefoot had managed to drag Crowfrost away from Dawnpelt before their argument escalated into _another_ full-blown fight, claws and all, and dropped him in front of the High Branch, where Toadfoot was assigning cats to the dawn border patrol, and dawn hunting patrol.

"I could've taken her," Crowfrost growled lowly.

Smokefoot's dark blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "You know, one of these days Rowanstar is going to claw your ears off for fighting with his precious daughter so much."

Crowfrost huffed. "No one else fights with her! She gets everything she wants just because she's the clan leader's daughter!" Under his breath he added, "Spoiled, stuck-up little furball."

Once Toadfoot finished assigning cats to the hunting patrol (which consisted of Scorchfur, Snowbird, Olivenose, and Tawnypelt), he turned to look at Smokefoot and Crowfrost, the hint of a smirk tracing his lips. "Ready to start your moon of dawn patrols?" He asking mockingly.

Smokefoot rolled his eyes. "This isn't a new punishment; we've been on more dawn patrols than we have regular patrols!"

Toadfoot raised an eyebrow. "You would think that you've learned your lessons by now." Bored with the idle chit-chat, Toadfoot swished his tail. "Alright Smokefoot, Crowfrost led the last one, so I guess it's your turn. Patrol the RiverClan border and keep a careful watch for twolegs; now that new-leaf is here they'll be showing up more often."

Smokefoot nodded crisply, slowly losing his playful side and morphing into the skilled warrior that he was. He shot Crowfrost a glance and saw that his buddy was doing the same. "Who do you want us to take?" Smokefoot asked.

"Dawnpelt for sure. Go ahead and take Owlclaw too." Annnnnnnd Smokefoot could kiss 'serious Crowfrost' good-bye. "Four of you should be enough."

"Right," Smokefoot agreed, and looked around for the other two ShadowClan warriors. Dawnpelt was sitting a little ways off, and looked like she couldn't decide if she should glare at Toadfoot for selecting her to patrol with Crowfrost, or comfort Owlclaw, who looked like he had just lost a war… probably because he also had to patrol with Crowfrost.

Crowfrost on the other paw looked ready to burst out of his pelt he was so excited.

Smokefoot sighed and shook his head for the second time that day, although he couldn't stop the grin the spread across his lips. _Maybe 'serious Smokefoot' can make an appearance later._

**Rebel**

"_Sooo Owlclaw_," Crowfrost started as soon as they left the camp. "How come you look so downcast?"

Smokefoot tried not to chuckle when Crowfrost invaded Owlclaw's personal space, and was walking so close to him that their pelts nearly brushed. Owlclaw looked like he wanted nothing more than to sprint away from the tom "flirting" with him, and refused to raise his amber eyes from the ground.

Dawnpelt, who had fallen into step next to him, wrinkled her muzzle. "I don't know how you can stand to be friends with him," she said. "I mean, just look at him! He's _flirting_ with _Owlclaw_!"

Smokefoot chuckled. "He doesn't really mean it. He only does it to Owlclaw because he knows how uncomfortable it makes him."

Dawnpelt snorted. "Crowfrost's flirting is enough to make _anyone_ uncomfortable." The dark gray tom couldn't help but shoot Dawnpelt a sly glance.

"Are you sure you're not just jealous that Crowfrost would rather flirt with _Owlclaw_ than he would you?"

Dawnpelt's jaw dropped at the accusation and she stammered, "O-of course I'm not! That's the most mouse-brained thought you've ever had, Smokefoot!" When Smokefoot only raised an eyebrow and smirked knowingly, the creamy-colored she-cat rushed on. "I mean, I could have any tom I want. Why would I settle for someone like _Crowfrost_?"

Smokefoot shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because he's handsome, charming, a skilled hunter and fighter-"

"Are you sure _you_ don't have a crush on him," Dawnpelt interrupted bitterly. Smokefoot's dark blue eyes shined with amusement; Dawnpelt hated when anyone pointed out that despite his playful-nature, Crowfrost was actually a very talented warrior.

"Nah, we decided we're better off as friends." Smokefoot said teasingly, and glanced back to wink at Crowfrost, who stopped teasing Owlclaw just long enough to return it.

"Ugh! You're both infuriating!" Dawnpelt growled, and suddenly halted so that she fell back with Owlclaw and Crowfrost. "Crowfrost, leave Owlclaw alone and go walk with Smokefoot!" She snapped. The black-and-white tom narrowed his eyes but complied, and sped his pace so that he fell into step beside Smokefoot.

"She's infuriating," Crowfrost growled. "Remind me why we haven't killed her yet?"

"Because you're the only cat in ShadowClan who hates her." Smokefoot meowed, before giving his companion a playful shove. "And actually, I'm not convinced that _you_ hate her."

Crowfrost groaned. "Not this again, Smokefoot! I already swore on StarClan _and _my mother's life that I can't stand the sight of her!"

"Okay, first off, you hated your mother, so you would only swear on her life if you were lying and wanted her to be struck by lightning and die," Crowfrost shot Smokefoot a glare as he continued. "And secondly, Dawnpelt's the most beautiful cat in _ShadowClan_! Even you can't "hate the sight of her"."

Crowfrost snorted and glared off to the side. "Try me." Looking back up and added, "But if you think she's so grand then why haven't _you _gotten with her yet? She's one of the only cats in ShadowClan who you haven't had a fling with."

"She's not my type," Smokefoot said, swishing his tail dismissively. The truth was Smokefoot had always suspected that Crowfrost and Dawnpelt had feelings towards each other, way back when Dawnpelt was just an apprentice, and Crowfrost was mentoring her best friend (and another one of Smokefoot's future flings), Olivenose. After all, shouting and insulting each other could just be how they flirted! And while Smokefoot was not above many things, he was above having a fling with the she-cat his buddy had feelings for.

Let it be known, he had a fling with Snowbird _before_ he knew that Scorchfur liked her!

Besides, every cat on this side of the lake knew that Smokefoot didn't have a type.

Crowfrost raised an eyebrow, disbelievingly. "You have a type?"

"Sure," Smokefoot said with a shrug. "They're called _she-cats_." Crowfrost rolled his frosty blue orbs but he couldn't hide the grin that threatened to overtake his cool demeanor, and Smokefoot smiled smugly.

"So," Crowfrost started, opting for a change of topic. "You said you had a story to tell me? I'm going to guess it's about that she-cat you hooked up with last night?"

Smokefoot paused and swiftly scanned their surroundings, and saw that they were almost at the RiverClan border. Thinking fast he called to Dawnpelt and Owlclaw, "Hey Dawnpelt, Owlclaw, Crowfrost and I can take care of remarking the border. You two go and check the bridge to see how many twolegs are there."

"Are you sure you don't want us there in case RiverClan decide to pull something?" Dawnpelt offered, although Owlclaw looked more than willing to get away from Crowfrost.

Smokefoot shook his head. "We'll be fine. RiverClan haven't been hostile in a while."

Dawnpelt shrugged. "If you say so." Without hesitating another second both ShadowClan warriors turned around and bounded in the direction of the bridge, where twolegs usually gathered.

Crowfrost watched them go for a moment before muttering, "Those two are probably planning my death right now."

"Nah," Smokefoot grinned. "They've already planned your death. Now they're just planning how to make it look like an accident."

"That's comforting," Crowfrost remarked, as they started towards the RiverClan border. "Now, about that she-cat…" he trailed off waiting for Smokefoot to start his story.

The smoky-colored tom started to smile as he thought about Icecloud. "She's a ThunderClan cat," he began.

Crowfrost nodded. "They're always fun. Which one was she?"

Smokefoot smirked ever so slightly. "Icecloud."

He thought Crowfrost's jaw was going to drop to the ground.

"You hooked up with Dustpelt's daughter?!" Crowfrost hissed. "Are you _insane_?! Do you know what he'll do to you when he finds out what you did to his-"

"_Relax_," Smokefoot intrupted, soothing his friend's nerves. "We didn't actually do anything."

Crowfrost laughed dryly, clearly not convinced. "Yeah right, what did you do then – talk all night?"

Smokefoot stared at Crowfrost.

Crowfrost stared at Smokefoot.

"Oh my StarClan… who are you and what have you done with Smokefoot?!"

**Rebel**

"She asked you if I was your _best friend_?" Crowfrost cried, indigently, as they finished remarking the RiverClan border. "You set her straight, _right_?"

Smokefoot wrinkled his nose. "Of course I did! I wouldn't let her call us that and get away with it." Crowfrost sighed thankfully.

"Alright, continue."

"Anyway, I told her about how we threw Snowbird into a ditch and she freaked out on me, and then I told her not to worry because we do it to the kits all the time, and then she freaked out even more, and then I told her how Toadfoot punished us, and now we have to lead dawn patrols for the next moon and destroy every red ant pile we know of."

"Fox-dung," Crowfrost cursed under his breath. "I forgot about that part. Jeeze, I hate Toadfoot!"

**Rebel**

"I already told you, the feeling is mutual," Toadfoot told Crowfrost when the border patrol returned to camp, and Crowfrost proceeded to tell the ShadowClan deputy how he felt about him. Again.

Crowfrost smiled sweetly. "I just thought I would remind you."

Toadfoot rolled his hazel eyes and said, "Well next time you feel the urge to remind me of something, do me a favor and don't."

Crowfrost's frosty blue orbs suddenly brightened with unspoken mischievousness. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive," Toadfoot deadpanned. Crowfrost smiled and shrugged, in a 'suite yourself' kind of way. Smokefoot raised an eyebrow as the two toms turned around and padded out of camp once again, on their way to fulfill the second part of their punishment.

"What was that about?" He asked.

Crowfrost grinned wickedly. "Rowanstar told him to send a patrol to WindClan in order to discuss the fox you chased into their territory, and considering he hasn't sent one out yet, and he was supposed to do it as soon as he finished with the dawn patrols…" Crowfrost trailed off, still grinning wickedly.

Smokefoot smirked. "You're horrible."

**Rebel **

"Wow. Sounds like you had an interesting night," Crowfrost remarked once Smokefoot had finished his recalling, and looked at him with a weary expression.

Smokefoot rolled his dark blue orbs. "Don't look at me like that, Crowfrost. I'm still the same Smokefoot, no one's corrupted my mind or anything."

"The Smokefoot I know would have made small talk, charmed her until she let you get some action, and then you would have slept in _separate nests. _The only cat you've shared a nest with is me when we were apprentices, and that was only because it was in the middle of a blizzard and you were cold," Crowfrost concluded. "Excuse me for being a little weary."

Smokefoot smirked. "Are you sure you're not just jealous that I've found a cat whose company is more enjoyable than yours?"

Crowfrost snorted. "Hardly. No one's company is better than mine."

"I'm not so sure Dawnpelt would agree with that statement."

"Well I'm not so sure that Dawnpelt is actually a cat!" Crowfrost retorted with enough venom to kill someone. "She's probably some female fox in disguise, just waiting to murder us all in our sleep!"

Smokefoot stared at his friend with a helpless expression. _Great StarClan, either he's so deep in denial that he can't find his way out, or he actually does hate her! _

Smokefoot shook his head in an effort to clear it. If he tried to figure out how Crowfrost and Dawnpelt worked, he would be there all day, and would only receive an earsplitting head-ach for his efforts. "Well," the dark gray tom started. "Getting back to Icecloud, I guess she's just… different; special."

Crowfrost was silent for a few moments, eyeing Smokefoot like he was analyzing an enemy, before speaking. "You've never talked about a she-cat like that."

"Exactly."

"Don't tell me you actually have _feelings_ for her." Crowfrost said, stressing the word like it would snap Smokefoot out of whatever trance he was in.

"Okay then," Smokefoot said with a shrug. "I won't tell you that."

"_Smokefoot_!"

"What?!" Smokefoot snapped, tired of being interrogated. He knew that Crowfrost wouldn't like the idea of him actually having feelings for Icecloud, but he didn't think Crowfrost would be this perstint.

"You're not_ allowed_ to have feelings for her," Crowfrost said sternly. "You're from two separate clans. This goes against the Warrior Code!"

Smokefoot gritted his teeth together. He should have known that Crowfrost wouldn't be easy to convince; when he was actually serious, Crowfrost could be the fiercest, most stubborn cat the clans had ever seen. "What about you?" he challenged. "You had a fling with Hazeltail, remember?"

"Exactly!" Crowfrost cried. "It was a _fling. _We met up _one time. _We're friends, we talk to each other at Gatherings, but it was just a _fling _and we both know it. I never called her different, and I sure as StarClan didn't call her _special_."

Smokefoot didn't shy away from Crowfrost's furious tone. Instead he growled, "I'm not going to stop meeting with her."

Crowfrost snorted in disbelief. "Unbelievable." He said, fire blazing in his frosty blue eyes. "You would betray ShadowClan for some _she-cat _who you've only met up with once?"

"I told you; she's different."

"Are you even listening to yourself right now?!"

"What's your problem, Crowfrost?" Smokefoot demanded. "Obviously this goes deeper than me having feelings for Icecloud, so spit it out. What, did _you_ like her or something?"

Crowfrost's piercing blue gaze didn't waver. "Forbidden relationships **never **end well," he growled. "Didn't you listen to the elders' stories when we were kits? If you keep meeting with Icecloud then you're only setting yourself up for tragedy."

And slowly, very slowly, Smokefoot felt his anger dissolve. _He's scared I'm going to get hurt. _The dark gray tom sighed and stepped towards his friend, who glared at the ground, fury masking his features. "I'm not going to get hurt," he murmured.

"You can't say that." Came Crowfrost's reply. "Everyone always says they won't get hurt, but look at them. The elders say that Silverstream died while birthing Graystripe's kits. Leafpool lost her medicine cat title for moons, and even if she has it back now, she's still heartbroken." Crowfrost finally lifted his head and stared at Smokefoot, his eyes looking like frozen fire. "What'll happen to you, I wonder?"

Smokefoot swallowed. Crowfrost had a point. Forbidden relationships never ended well for anyone. "I-I don't know if what I feel towards Icecloud is love," he admitted. "It might just be a simple attraction, but I know what attraction feels like, and it… doesn't feel like this."

"So then it's love." Crowfrost summed up, sounding annoyed.

Smokefoot shrugged helplessly. "Possibly."

Crowfrost sighed loudly and looked away, focusing his gaze on a rather uninteresting pine tree. "StarClan, you're impossible. Of course you have your pick of the she-cats in ShadowClan, and who do you go fall for? The most off-limits she-cat in all the clans!"

Smokefoot opened his mouth to argue that Icecloud wasn't the most off-limits she-cat in all the clans (honestly, Dawnpelt had probably earned that title when she rejected nearly every single tom in ShadowClan), but when he thought about it, Crowfrost was right. What with her daddy issues and all, Icecloud seemed untouchable.

Shooing the thought from his mind, Smokefoot meowed, "Well, if there's one tom who could obtain the most_ unobtainable_ she-cat, it would have to be me, now wouldn't it?"

"You're so full of yourself. It would be me."

"Actually, I think Dawnpelt would disagree w-"

"For the love of StarClan, stop bringing Dawnpelt up!"

Smokefoot chuckled, and he saw that even Crowfrost was fighting to hold his mask in place. Feeling his nerves smooth themselves out, he said, "I don't know what's going to come from this, Crowfrost. I might decide that Icecloud isn't all I thought she was." _Like StarClan that would ever happen. _"Or I might really be in love with her. But you know that I could never hurt ShadowClan. This is my home; my loyalty lies here, my friends are here." Placing his tail on Crowfrost's back, he smiled a little and said, "My brother is here."

At first it seemed like Smokefoot's words had little effect over Crowfrost, but like Smokefoot told Icecloud; he knew how to read cats. He saw the slight twitch of Crowfrost's lips, and how his muscles relaxed ever so slightly. He wasn't angry anymore. "So what then?" Crowfrost inquired. "You'll just live happily ever after in your forbidden relationship? Never to raise a family, or live in the elders' den with the she-cat you love?"

Smokefoot drew back sharply. "The elders?" He demanded. "I'm still young; the elders wouldn't let me join them right now even if I begged!"

Crowfrost rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean right now, lizard-brain."

"Oh," Smokefoot mumbled, feeling sheepish. But he supposed Crowfrost had a point. It wouldn't be fair for either of them if they were forced to never have a family, or grow old together. But… there were options. "She could always join ShadowClan." Smokefoot murmured.

Crowfrost's head shot up. "_What_?"

Now that he said it, Smokefoot felt the same way. _What am I saying? I haven't even talked to Icecloud about this. Heck, we've only met up once! That whole night we had could be a one-time thing! _The most amazing night of Smokefoot's night could have been a fluke.

But… what if it wasn't?

What if every night they met up was like that, and every time was better than the last? What if StarClan meant for them to be together?

"W-we haven't discussed it or anything," Smokefoot admitted, trying to compile his thoughts. "The thought just came to me. But if it turns out that this _is_ far more than a simple attraction, and I do want to spend the rest of my life with Icecloud by my side, then why not? It wouldn't be breaking the Warrior Code then."

Crowfrost was, of course, skeptical. "Are you sure Icecloud would go for it?"

Smokefoot shrugged. "I don't know. But I do know that her clan mates are aggravating her, and I'm sure she would love the chance to get away from Dustpelt's prying eyes." But then again, leaving your clan wasn't a simple decision for anyone. "I probably won't mention it for a while," Smokefoot meowed. "I'll wait until we know for sure that this isn't some dumb attraction, and that we're compatible. You can't rush these things, you know."

"Um, no, I don't know." Crowfrost said dryly. Then a new thought came to him and he asked, "Are you going to tell Scorchfur about her?"

Smokefoot shrugged. "Eventually, but not yet. You know how Scorchfur gets. He'll tell me I have no idea what I'm doing."

Crowfrost raised an eyebrow. "_Do_ you know what you're doing?" The smoke-colored tom scoffed.

"Of course I don't. That's why I don't want to hear it!" The black-and-white tom rolled his eyes, and Smokefoot grinned and playfully shoved his companion. "Come on, those red ant nests aren't going to destroy themselves!" Crowfrost groaned and muttered something under his breath, and although Smokefoot couldn't be too sure, he thought it sounded suspiciously like, "I hate Toadfoot".

They padded through the pine forest in silence for a while, until a grin traced Crowfrost's lips, and soon after he started laughing. Smokefoot raised an eyebrow and glanced at his buddy. "What's so funny?"

"You!" Crowfrost exclaimed. "Going on about how you might be in love, and whether or not you're compatible." Crowfrost threw him a grin. "What she-cat spent one night with you and managed to get you thinking about things that we mock Scorchfur for?"

Smokefoot's grin dissolved into a genuine, heartfelt smile. "Her name is Icecloud, and she might just be the most wonderful she-cat in the clans."

"_Hmm_," Crowfrost hummed, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Crowfrost smirking at him, thinking of all the ways he could tease him about this. Smokefoot refused to make eye contact with him and they walked in a comfortable silence until the black-and-white tom said,

"You're introducing me to her."

"**What**?!"

* * *

**AN – Just to make sure that everyone is on the same page, Crowfrost is not gay and/or bisexual. He is quite satisfied with the she-cat species, and although it isn't shown much, he's almost as big a player as Smokefoot. He and Smokefoot have a purely platonic friendship and view each other as brothers (hence the reason that they're close enough to share a nest in the middle of a blizzard). Furthermore, he does view Owlclaw as a friend, but harbors no romantic feelings towards him. Seriously. Crowfrost just has a cruel streak in him and enjoys making him uncomfortable. With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, and have fallen in love with our ShadowClan boyz : )**

* * *

**Question of the Day**

**Which best friend/buddy do you like best? Rosepetal or Crowfrost?**

**#Crowfrost FTW**


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